Kingdom Hearts re: Guidance of the Heart
by Marik Female Double
Summary: After Misuki loses her island and father, she lives with Ansem the Wise. But when he vanishes, she travels to Castle Oblivion, joins Organization 13 only to forget her mission. With Axel's help, she will find her past and re-unite with Ansem and Riku.
1. Prologue

**Kingdom Hearts re: Guidance of the Heart**

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><p><strong>Prologue:<strong>

My village was a peaceful place, on a remote island that was not on any map. We were not known to the outside world, which was fine with me. I was a happy-go-lucky three-year old, who had hunting skills, and the flexibility of a monkey. I had lots of friends who always made me laugh, and we taught each other how to fight. My number one best friend was my dad. My mom died after I was born. I wished I'd met her, but my dad always told me that my mother's spirit resided in the village elder, Diana. She helped my dad raise me, and taught me about hunting and gathering, and basic combat fighting.

My friend Kattako was a great friend to me. Actually, he was kind of like my brother. I also had a little crush on him, but never told him how I felt. I didn't want to ruin our friendship. But I promised myself I'd tell him when we were older.

In my village, the women did the hunting, while the men worked in the gardens. Well…not all the women. There were a select few women who were taught in the way of the warrior, and others worked in the gardens. The men hunt only if they are asked to. Some of the men weren't ready to hunt yet. Others couldn't because they had families they wanted to stay close to. I did a little of both. I hunted some days, and other days I planted herbs. Diana even taught me how to make special medicine to heal wounds. That was my best talent. Everything was perfect. Until the tragedy happened.

On the island, there's a volcano that was over a million years old. For years, my people thought that it was dormant… but we were very wrong. A month later, it exploded. We panicked, not wanting to leave our only home. Many people prayed to the Gods to spare them. But there was no mercy. Diana commanded my dad to take the only boat, and leave with me to the outside world. She and the others believed I was a reincarnation of our sacred Deity, Athema. They wanted me to live on and one day rebuild our culture. I was scared, because I wanted Diana to come with us, but like the others, she decided to stay, and die with the island.

As my father and I floated away, we watched the entire island, burn under the hot molten lava. I found myself crying and screaming. I lost everyone that was important to me. My father was the only one I had left to care for me. I cried and cried until my dad rocked me to sleep.

When I woke up, we had reached land at last. It was a strange place with tall buildings and people always on the go. There was a sign that said 'Radiant Garden'. It was a beautiful place, and everyone seemed happy. My father and I slept in an alleyway, by a big clock tower. No one paid any attention to us, and continued with their lives.

The second night we spent there, we were surrounded by scary big kids, who demanded money from us. My dad tried to explain to them that we not only didn't speak their language, but that we didn't have any money. They moved closer to us, and began beating up my dad. I hid behind two trash cans. They didn't seem to notice me. The last words my dad told me, was to run away, and find another place to live. I was frozen with fear, and was too scared to move an inch. Finally, I got the courage to slip by the scary thugs, and run away without looking back. From that day on, I was all by myself; no one to hold me, and protect me from nightmares and monsters. I had no one to tell me I was special. No mother…no…father...no family.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

It's been two months since my father was killed in front of me. Living on the streets, I have listened to the people around me; studying them, and learning their language. I understood it, but couldn't speak it. I used my primitive instincts to locate food, and a warm place to sleep. Still, I wish that I was back on my island, with my dad, Diana and all my friends.

Every night, I dreamed about the village, and what would've happened if this whole thing never happened. I actually saw me at fifteen, confessing my feelings to Kattako, and him accepting it, and holding me in his arms. These events made me cry, because they were images of my broken dreams. I had other dreams as well…dreams that didn't make any sense to me.

I was standing in a black abyss, cold and silent as death. There was absolutely nothing around me. All of a sudden, a mysterious figure appears from the Darkness. All I could think of was that this isn't a normal nightmare for a four-year old. The figure turned out to be a man with light mocha-colored skin, silver hair, and strange clothing. I found myself staring at him for a long period of time. When I tried to speak, no sound came from my lips at all.

"Are you the one who can look into people's hearts, and see their inner most desires?"

What did that mean? I looked at him with a puzzling look. He raised his hand, and blew a gust of wind at me, and blew me back. My body froze in midair, and my arms and legs were suddenly pinned down. I struggled to get free, but it was no use. When I looked up, the man was right in my face, examining me.

"You are the one who reads hearts. Give me that power. I must have it to control Kingdom Hearts!" His eyes became crazed and mad with power. He wanted total control. He grabbed me by my shoulders and tangled me up in cold and unfeeling Darkness. I kept trying to squirm free, but the more I did the tighter his grip became. He then started to absorb into my body. I felt every twitch he made. "This power…it's incredible! I must claim it for myself! This energy belongs to me and me alone!" The pain was so intense, I thought my eyes were going to burst out of my head.

All I could do was scream at the top of my lungs, not caring that no sound formed. In my head, I was yelling at the top of my lungs…I yelled for my father.

I woke up by my own scream and a sudden shock that ran through my body. I was breathing very heavily, and I was shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't wrap my mind around what had just happened to me. All I could do at that point was try to find something to eat. I walked up to a bread shop, where an old woman was opening up the store. I slowly walked up to her, and stared at her, smelling that delicious hand-made bread.

"Oh, hello there." The woman looked at me with her beady eyes, smiling warmly at me. "Are you hungry little one? Here, take this for no charge." She handed me a large piece of bread wrapped up in a brown paper bag. I took it, bowed to her, and ran away back to the alley. The first bite of the bread was sweet and warm. It melted in my mouth, and I savored every bite. When I finished, I began sensing something weird and uncomfortable nearby. I decided to follow the trail and find out what it was.

The strange sensations lead me to an abandoned building. I looked around to see where the trail continued. I paced around; trying to make myself understand what was going on around me. I believed this town was playing tricks on my mind, and I was being fooled. As I started back to my shelter, a weird creature appeared in front of me. It was nothing like anything I've ever seen before. It looked like a giant ant, with crooked antennas, scrawny fingers, and big yellow eyes. It stared at me for a while, observing me while twitching its head and arms in an endless cycle. As I stared back, two more appeared from the ground and surrounded me. I wasn't scared, but a little hesitant of what they wanted and what they were going to do.

As I waited for the creatures to strike, I heard a voice from behind me yell, "Run away! Now!" I looked around for the source of the voice, when a mysterious man appeared in front of me with some sort of giant key. I didn't see his face, but he had really big round ears and wearing a black coat. He fought off the creatures easily without breaking a sweat. After he did, he looked around and scouted the area. "Are you okay?" he asked me in a low voice. I nodded my head. "You've got to get outta here. It's not safe. Go back home. Whatever you do, don't look back." His instructions were confusing. Were those things going to come after me? Doing as he said, I ran back to the alleyway to just meditate, and process everything that's been going on in this town. 'Father…if only you were here with me. I need you.' While I sat against the wall crying for my father and all the people I had lost, there was a small voice inside of me telling me to hate this place; to hate Radiant Garden and all the people who lived there. But I didn't listen. I never believed in hating something that I didn't understand or knew very little about…but the feeling never went away.

It was well in the afternoon by the time I pulled myself together and fought off my negative feelings. I was using old paint that was thrown away to draw on the wall. With the paint, I was drawing symbols of my native language to tell the story of how I wanted my future to be like if my home wasn't destroyed, and all my loved ones weren't taken away from me. Painting was a hobby I picked up from my mother. Back on the island, we used berries of different colors to make paint, as well as mud and grass juice. As I continued to paint the walls with vibrant colors, some big kids approached me. They walked towards me and started laughing as they took a good look at me.

"Well well, looks like we have a little lost baby." The kid was tall with messy brown hair, an army jacket and ripped pants. I didn't pay him and his friends any attention and continued painting my symbols. When they saw I wasn't listening to them, they knocked the paint from my hands then pushed me to the ground."Look at me when I talk to you, brat!" He picked me up by the front of my shirt, and shook me. I yelled at him in my language, even though I knew he couldn't understand me. I had to show I wasn't scared of him. "What?" He had a confused look on his face, and looked at his friends to see if they understood what I said. Then I swung my hand around and slapped him across the face to see if it would make him put me down. But instead, he just looked at me and glared at me like he was ready to kill me. "Okay, you wanna joke around and make an idiot out of me?" He growled. "Let me show you what happens to people who mess with me."

As he held his fist up ready to punch me, a voice shouted, "Unhand her!" The big kids and I turned and saw a middle aged man with blond hair, a goatee and a lab coat, carrying a bag of groceries. The sound of the man's voice stopped the bully's fist in mid air.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

"What will you do if I don't old man?" The kid challenged the man. He didn't seem fazed by his threat.

"I'll alert the authorities. My assistant is getting them now. They're on their way here as we speak." Everyone was silent for a long period of time. I looked at the bully and saw sweat run down his face, and his body began shaking in fear. Finally he lowered his fist before setting me down, took his friends and left as quickly as they could. Once they were gone, I slowly stepped out of the alley and looked for the authorities the man spoke of. The only ones around was the old man and another man with silver hair and a lab coat. That was probably the assistant he was talking about. I gave the man a questionable look.

"Don't worry. There are no authorities. That was just to scare them. Are you alright?" I nodded, staring at him blankly. "What are you doing here all by yourself, little one?" He knelt down to my level, staring at me heavily with all kinds of questions and concerns.

"Master Ansem, we have to hurry back. Even is waiting for us." The young man said.

"Oh, uh right. Here, take this." He handed me a loaf of bread and a bottle of milk from his bag that was dangling from his arm. "Be careful, little one. Stay out of danger." With that comment, he left. I stared at the milk and bread, thinking how nice he was to give spare me some of his food. But if he's nice enough to give me bread and milk, why didn't he offer to take me home? I decided to follow them, and see what kind of house they lived in.

When I finally reached their house, it was so big that I almost fell back looking at it. Compared to it, I was a little doll. The doors were big enough for a giant to enter, and there were so many towers. I never imagined houses could be this big. It made me wonder what the towers had stored within them. As I got closer, I saw the two men that saved me entered the big house, leaving two guards in the front. Maybe they had secrets they didn't want anyone to see. I hid behind the bushes, and stayed as quiet as I could.

The two men were standing guard, when another man wearing the same uniform approached them and began talking. They had unique weapons that somewhat fascinated me, and looked really serious. They reminded me of the few male warriors that lived in my village; the ones that actually went out and hunted. They'd patrol the island every day and night.

As I was thinking about my old home, something was suddenly shot at me. I quickly jumped in the air, and evaded the shot. I landed a few feet away from the men. I stared at them, waiting for another attack.

"Who's the girl?" one of the guards asked. He wore an eye patch on his left eye and pointed his weapon at me. To me, it looked like an advanced form of a bow and arrow. I stared in awe, but kept my guard up for another attack.

The other guard with black hair and large body approached me. "Who are you and where did you come from?" I backed away from him, afraid he was going to attack me too. I decided to make the first move, and quickly got behind him and attacked. I hit the back of his neck, hoping it was a pressure point, but it wasn't. He turned and tried to strike me with his weapon, which nothing more than a spear, but I dodged it. Just as I did, the eye patch guy fired another shot at me. I sprinted to him, and attacked him instead.

"What's going on here?" A deep voice called. I looked around, and saw the same man that saved me from the bullies in the street. But I ignored him and struck every pressure point in the eye patch man's body and made him collapse and pass out. His face slowly became pale as the pupils in his eyes disappeared before they shut.

"Braig, are you alright?" The old man asked. I looked at him, visualizing my father. He was smiling at me, and holding out his hand. I slowly approached him, hearing him sing the lullaby he always sang to me while I slept. Nothing else mattered to me. I created a world with just me and him. We had each other forever. I was finally happy again. I never wanted to leave the perfect world I had created in my mind. Everything was peaceful and magnificent. We were in the village, living our lives once again with all our friends. Diana was holding me, telling me stories of my ancestors and my past lives. It felt like sitting on a cloud, and floating away from the outside world. I could re-live my life again, and never leave. I heard a voice call to me. It was all around me. I couldn't escape it.

"Little one, can you hear me? Little one." I woke up in a strange white room, with all these things attached to me. Every noise that entered my ears was warped and echoed three times. It took a while for my vision and hearing to become completely clear. To my left was the old man with blond hair and matching goatee that saved me from the bullies that tried to hurt me. "Thank goodness you're awake. You were out for quite some time."

"Her vital signs are a little off, but otherwise, she should recover in no time." The man that was talking was bizarre. He too had straight blonde hair, and a very odd face. He had a serious look on his face that was a little scary.

"What are these strange marks on her face?" The goatee man examined my face, and stared at the eight little dots around my nose and eyes.

"She must be some kind of native. But what is she doing here?" Feeling calm and open, I grabbed a piece of paper that was sitting next to me, and held out my hand for something to write with.

"Do you want a pen?" The goatee man reached into his coat, and gave me his pen. I took it from him, and began drawing a picture of my village, adding detail to tell what happened there. I wasn't sure if they would be able to understand, but I wanted them to know at least where I came from. When I was finished, I handed the picture to the goatee man. He looked at it for a while, trying to understand what I was trying to explain. "It seems she's from some sort of island. Am I correct?" he turned and asked me. I nodded, and pointed to the volcano I drew, then spread my hands out wide, and made an explosion noise with my mouth. "Did the volcano erupt?" I nodded again, happy he knew half of the story. But I wondered how I was going to tell him the rest of it about my history.

The man with the scary face approached me, and looked down at my picture. "Can you speak?" he asked me. I was silent for a while. Then I spoke in my language, and I saw the confusion in their eyes.

"No wonder she wouldn't talk." The goatee man said, letting out a small chuckle. "She doesn't know English."

"Yet she's been responding to our questions." The scary man said.

"She probably understands it, but is unable to speak it. Little one, do you have any parents?"

I didn't respond. It was hard to after I lost my father over two months ago. Before I knew it, I felt tears run down my face, and I heard myself moaning in grief. I grabbed onto the goatee man, burying my face in his coat, and holding him tightly. I needed to cry about everything I've been through ever since my father brought me here. I already hated this town, and everyone in it.

"It's alright, little one. You've been through a lot, and you are alone." He gently rubbed my back, and took me in his arms. I could hear his heart. Not the beating of it, but its voice. His heart was speaking to me. He understood about my parents. He knows I'm alone, and I'm afraid. I didn't want to let go of him. This strange jolt of energy that passed from him to me was overwhelming. I didn't understand it, but soon I noticed that our hearts were in rhythm with each other. In some universal way, we were connected with one another through fate. That feeling made me clench onto him harder. "There, there. You don't have to be alone any more. You may live here with me."

When he said that, I was so happy. I looked up at him, wondering if he was serious. "I will take you in as my own. Would you like that?" I smiled and nodded with excitement in my eyes. I hugged him again, feeling great that there was someone in this town who cared for a poor little girl from a small native island. When he finally let me go, I looked on his chest and saw he had some sort of tag with his picture and name. I observed it closely, to read his name.

"A-An…sem. Ansem." I sounded the word out.

"Yes. My name is Ansem the Wise. What is your name?"

Luckily, my name was the one thing people could understand from me. "Misuki."

"Misuki is it? What a pretty name for a pretty girl. Well, Misuki, this is my good friend, Even. He's the one who healed you." I looked at Even, and smiled at him.

"How do you do?" he said before going back to writing something down.

"Is she healed enough to get out of this bed?" Ansem the Wise asked Even.

"Yes. She's completely healed, and can stand on her own." With those words, I lifted the covers off of me, and jumped out of bed, I was so happy to walk around again.

"I almost forgot how is Braig?" Ansem the Wise asked Even. Was this Braig guy the one I knocked out?

"He's still paralyzed, and in a coma. I assume he'll be like that for another few weeks."

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><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hey guys! Just wanted to make a little note here. I was going to revise this a long time ago, but I got piled with assignments and stress. Just to let everyone know, I studied my ass off to get everything in the Kingdom Hearts games and put them in this story. If I miss anything, feel free to leave me a message and I'll change it when I get the chance.

Please R&R. Thank you (wO)b


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

"Where is Braig now?" Ansem the Wise asked.

"He's in the room next door." Even didn't look at him. He was too busy working on something.

I felt bad about what I did to this Braig guy, so I decided to see if I could do something. I ran out of the room, and went next door. When I walked in the room, the two guards that were standing outside the castle before all this happened were sitting around Braig. I entered the room, and stared at him. He was just lying there without moving. I slowly approached the bed, and observed him. I looked at him, and saw he was a little pale and he had bruises all over his body. I reached into my pocket and got out a small bottle filled with dark green liquid. It was a special medicine my people used to heal bruises, and the sweet smell would make anyone regain consciousness. I opened it up, poured some of it on my hands and rubbed them together. I then gently rubbed the medicine on every one of Braig's bruises, while relaxing his muscles and all the vital organs I hit during the fight. In seconds, they all healed and disappeared.

"What happened to his bruises?" The big black-haired man asked in confusion. His hair was braided and pulled back into a pony tail, except for a few strands that hung in front of his face. Like that Even, guy, this man had a scary face, but I wasn't too afraid of him. He still seemed nice.

"It looks like she's healing him." The messy brown-haired man answered for me. "Is that what you're doing?" He directed his question to me. I turned around and nodded my head. After I answered him, I put the bottle up to Braig's nose, and fanned the smell in his face, so he could get a good whiff of it. It was five minutes before he finally sat up in surprise. He was good as new.

"What happened?" he asked, clutching his chest and gasping uncontrollably. When he looked down at me, he jumped back in the bed, and hit the wall. He looked at me like I was about to kill him or something. Sure I knocked him out and left a few bruises on him, but I did it because he attacked me first. So I should've been the one afraid of him. Instead, I kept looking at the silly expression on his face, trying to conceal my laughter.

"She healed you. How do you feel?" The black-haired man explained. He got up, and stood next to me, looking at Braig from head to toe.

Braig examined his body, testing his muscles and reflexes. "I feel a lot better. I've never felt this good ever. I'm…relaxed." He looked at me, and sat at the edge of the bed. He smiled at me and said, "Thanks a lot. Name's Braig." He held his hand out. I was confused at what he wanted me to do. I took his hand, looked at it for a while, and then placed it on the top of my head and smiled at him. "Guess she doesn't know what a handshake is." He said, chuckling. I started laughing with him, and let him pet my head.

"Are you feeling better, Braig?" I heard Ansem the Wise enter the room.

"Yeah, thanks to her." He looked at him, and continued petting my head. "She's a miracle worker."

Ansem the Wise approached me, and got to eye level with me. When he did, I felt Braig remove his hand from my head as I turned to face Ansem the Wise. "How did you do it?" he asked me. I took out the half empty bottle with the liquid that I used to heal Braig's bruises and revive him. I handed it to him, and he examined it.

"What is it?" Braig asked.

"I can't be certain, but it looks like some sort of healing medicine made from rare herbs and spices."

I looked at him and nodded, "Mmm-hmm," and smiled.

"You made this by yourself?" he asked me.

"Mmm-hmm." I said again. He was amazed at what kind of a special girl I was. He handed me the bottle back, and went to check on Braig's condition. He noticed all his bruises were completely gone, and he was refreshed and ready for action.

"How did you regain consciousness?" he asked Braig.

"There was a sweet smell of honey suckle and sweet grass and I just woke up. When I did, all my muscles weren't sore, and my reflexes were better than ever."

I looked at the two other guards standing at the end of the room. I stared at their weapons because they were unique, and not like anything I've ever seen before. I pointed at the black-haired man's spear, wanting to hold it.

It took him a while to understand what I was asking from him. "Did you want to look at my weapon?" he asked me, holding his spear up.

"Mmph" I nodded.

He thought about it, wondering if it was okay to let me hold it without hurting myself. "I suppose." He agreed, carefully handing it to me. "But be very careful." When I held it in my hand, it felt incredible. I felt like I was holding one of my own handmade spears I had in my village. The only difference was, this spear was made from some type of ice cold material that was really thick, and it was a little sharper. I gazed amazingly at it, because it brought back the memory of the first time I went hunting and caught a wild boar three times my size. I gave it back to him, then ran out the room to play outside.

"Misuki, where are you going?" Ansem the Wise called out to me. I stopped to go back and grab him to guide him outside. I was a little lost, but I had sharp instincts that helped me finally arrive at a door that was made of wood, and was very shiny. I let go of Ansem the Wise's arm, and pointed at the door. "Do you want to go out in the garden?" He asked me.

I nodded excitedly, and waited as he unlocked the door, revealing the most beautiful garden I've ever seen. The flowers were all kinds of different colors, and made a beautiful maze that circled around the five trees that made the scenery even prettier. I ran outside, playing in the maze, and climbed the biggest tree I saw. Being high up made me feel real good, and made me forget everything in the world. I closed my eyes and let the wind blow gently though my hair. I stayed up in the tree for about an hour until Ansem the Wise called my name from below.

"Misuki, come here for a minute!" I stood up on the branch I was sitting on, and jumped down right in front of him. I stared at him, waiting to hear what he had to say. "I thought of an idea I want to do with you."

What was he talking about? He continued on. "If you would like, I want to teach you how to speak English. You're able to understand us, yet unable to communicate back through our language. So, I believe it'll be easy for you to learn the language." He wanted to help me talk and communicate more. I thought about it for a while, and nodded my head in agreement.

"Very good." He said, picking me up. We'll start first thing tomorrow." He took me inside to get me something to eat. I didn't even think about food. I guess I was distracted with everything that's been going on, that I didn't hear my stomach grumble at all. He made me something called 3-cheese pasta. It was covered in sauce and spices. It was really good, that I ate two helpings.

After I ate, it was late and I wanted to go to sleep. Ansem the Wise carried me to his guest room, and tucked me in the bed. "Good night, Misuki. May you have sweet dreams." As I drifted off to sleep, he kissed me on the forehead, and sat on the edge of the bed until I was completely knocked out. That night I didn't have any dreams at all. I was standing in a dark abyss alone, waiting for something. But…what was I waiting for?

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><p>Author's Note:<p>

I hope I'm doing a good job at revising my story ^^ I've decided to revise and republish one chapter once or twice per week.

Axel: Hey, when do I come in? They're waiting to see my sexiness.

Me: Wait, Axel! Get out of here! You come in when I tell you!

Axel: You can't conceal this sexiness for too long.

Me: *facepalm* Don't make me get a bucket of water...I'll do it.

Demyx: Did someone say water? *summons sitar*

Me: AAAHHHHHHHHHH! EVERYONE GET OUT NOW! *chases Axel and Demyx away with my keyblade*

Ahem...sorry about that ^^ Anyway, please R&R Thank you


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

The next morning, I sat up in bed, feeling really weird. I couldn't explain it, but I think it had something to do with my dream. All I was doing was standing in the middle of a dark abyss, but it felt like I did something that's about to impact my life. For some reason, I had this strange image in my head. It was an image of a boy I've never seen before. He had silver spiky hair, and beautiful aqua eyes. He smiled at me, and kept saying, "Don't worry…I'll protect you no matter what." What did he mean? Who was he?

"Good morning, Misuki." Ansem the Wise entered the room, and sat next to me. "Can you say 'good morning'?" he said the words slowly.

"G-Good…m-m-morning." I sounded out the words slowly. I then said it a second time and a lot better. "Good morning, Ansem the Wise."

"Very good. You did it. Now, let's go get some breakfast." He got up and headed toward the door.

I jumped out of the bed, and ran after him. "Breakfast! Get some breakfast!" I exclaimed the words over and over again.

Ansem the Wise laughed at my enthusiasm, and took my hand. We walked to the dining room, and as we did, he asked me what I wanted for breakfast. "We have cereal, pancakes, waffles, eggs…"

"Pancakes and eggs, pancakes and eggs!" I stopped him in mid-sentence.

He laughed again. "Pancakes and eggs it is. Would you like a glass of orange juice?"

"Orange…juice?" I questioned. The name sounded strange to me.

"It's juice made from a fruit called the orange. It's very delicious, and good for growing children such as yourself."

I thought about it, and remembered my father gave me an orange in the village when I was a year old. I guess the reason I didn't know about it, was because it was rare to find an orange on my island. They grew on the other side, and it was dangerous to go there. "Orange juice." I finally said. "I would like orange juice."

"Okay. You will have pancakes, eggs and orange juice." He said to me as he sat me down in a chair in the dining room. As he walked off to get my food, the silver-haired man that was with Ansem the Wise when he found me on the streets walked in with a stack of papers in his hands.

"Master Ansem, I have the information you asked for. Where would you like me to put it?" he asked.

"Just set it down over there on the table by Misuki. I'll look over it while I eat." He instructed.

"Yes sir." The man walked over to where I was sitting, and set the papers down across from me. After that, he bowed to me and said, "Good morning, Misuki," and walked around the table and sat down, looking over the piles of papers he brought in the room.

"Good morning." I said back as he sat down across from me. He paused for a while, and then continued working without looking up at me. He gave off a weird aura that I couldn't put into words. His heart was dedicated to Ansem the Wise and whatever they were researching. It was strong, filled with ambition and pride. He would've been one of the men who hunted and guarded the village from predators. He would've been respected as a great warrior.

A few minutes later, Ansem the Wise came in with a tray of breakfast for me. He set the plate of pancakes and eggs in front of me, along with a tall glass of the orange juice. It all looked so good! "Here you are. Eat up." He said, sitting down across from me. As he and the silver-haired man sat and talked over the papers scattered across the table, I gobbled down the pancakes and eggs. They were so delicious, it melted in my mouth. And this…syrup stuff that was on top of the pancakes made it even tastier. Some of it got in my eggs, but I didn't care. The orange juice was my favorite. It tasted just like oranges; sweet and tangy that made my cheeks tingle every time I took a sip.

"Was your breakfast good, Misuki?" Ansem the Wise asked me.

I finished the last gulp of my orange juice, exhaled and said "Best breakfast ever!" He laughed at my outburst.

"I'm glad you liked it." He said. "Would you like to go outside?"

I shook my head. "Want to stay here with you." I said, looking at him with pleading eyes. Being with Ansem the Wise, felt like being with my dad again. I didn't want to leave his side.

"If it is what you want, then you may. I'll be done in a minute, and then I'll take you out to get some ice cream." He smiled at me, and went back to his work. I sat there quietly, staring at the silver-haired man. He looked familiar to me, but I don't know from where. I wasn't sure if he knew I was staring at him, but either way he didn't seem to notice or care.

Without thinking, I asked him, "What is…your name?" I was just curious, and wanted to know who he was.

They both looked up at me, and didn't say anything. It took the man a while to find out I was talking to him. "My name is Xeanort. I am Ansem the Wise's apprentice. I help him with important experiments, and he teaches me new things, like he's doing with you." He answered.

"Xeanort is an…apprentice." I said back to him.

"Correct." Xeanort answered. Then he turned back to Ansem the Wise. "She really is learning fast." He said.

"She is intelligent. I predict she'll fully speak our language in about a week or two."

A few hours later,after Ansem the Wise and Xeanort finally finished their business, we went out to the garden to play for a while. I sat with Ansem the Wise on the hand carved stone bench, and read a book with him. It was a book called 'English 101'. I learned a lot from that book. It took me three hours to understand what the book was teaching me. It was easier because Ansem the Wise was there to explain everything to me.

Finally, he closed the book, and looked at me. "Before we get that ice cream I promised, there's one more person I want you to meet. Stay here and I'll go get him." He set the book down where he was sitting and went back inside. I sat there, anxious to meet this mysterious person he was talking about. I wondered if he would be nice enough to play with me and climb trees. As I thought about that stuff, I picked up the English book, and continued on where he left off.

About twenty minutes later, Ansem the Wise came back outside with a little boy who looked a little bit older than me. He had light blue or teal colored hair that covered half of his face. He looked a little shy. "Misuki, I'd like you to meet Ienzo. He's an orphan just like you."

I put the book back down and stared at Ienzo and smiled. "Hi, Ienzo." He looked at me with a blank stare.

"Ienzo, this is Misuki. She's from a village that was destroyed in a volcanic explosion. So she will be staying with us." He didn't say anything. Ansem the Wise broke the silence. "Now, let's get that ice cream."

Walking through town was really fun! I was astounded by the people and their busy lives. It was better to look at people when you're not huddled in an alleyway, afraid of them. I felt safe with Ansem the Wise. We stopped at a small ice cream shop, where he ordered us all sea-salt ice cream. That was a strange name for a flavor.

"How do you like it, Misuki?" Ansem the Wise asked me.

"It's sweet, not salty." I told him. "It is good." I took another lick, and let the flavor take me to another world.

"I'm glad you like it." He said, taking a bite into his. "Let's go home. You two can go out and play in the garden."

I was up in the tree, finishing off my ice cream. I looked down at Ienzo, who was playing with funny colored liquids. He was probably hoping to one day to become Ansem the Wise's apprentice too. At least that's what I sensed in his heart. I threw the ice cream stick away, and went to see what he was doing. I walked up to him, and stood there just watching him. I noticed he was mixing up the liquids, and they began to bubble and change colors.

"What are you doing?" I asked him. He didn't answer me. He just continued playing around with his experiments, and writing things down in a little notebook. After he finished writing in his notebook, I noticed he picked up some strange unusual chemicals and started mixing it with a white powder. "You shouldn't do that." I told him.

"And why not?" he asked me. He talked in a low voice, and looked at me with a grimace.

I couldn't explain it, so instead I took the powder and mixed it with the correct mixture. When he saw that I did what he was trying to do, he looked a little dumbfounded. I could tell he was waiting for an explanation. "I have a strong sense of smell. The mixture you did; it didn't…smell right." After I said that, Even came up to us.

"How is your experiment doing, Ienzo?" he looked over Ienzo's shoulders, and was proud that he completed his work. "Very good. I'll grade your notes now." Even took his notebook, and walked off without acknowledging me. By the look on his face, Ienzo wanted to tell Even that I was the one who completed his experiments. I met his gaze and placed my finger over my mouth, telling him to not tell Even about the project. I made sure he kept that our little secret. After that, I turned around and tried to catch up with Even, so I could go see Ansem the Wise. But by the time I caught up to him, he was in his lab and shut the door. Now I was completely alone, and had no idea where I was. I was so scared that I couldn't even hear my own instincts tell me where to go.

I walked down the hall, looking for his office by myself. I looked for hours, and was completely lost until I ran into Xeanort. "Sorry!" I bowed to him, apologizing for running into him.

"Don't worry about it." He said. I looked up at him. "Were you looking for Ansem the Wise?" he asked me.

I nodded, waiting to see if he'd take me to him. As I followed him, I couldn't help but notice that there was something about Xeanort that was a little suspicious. I couldn't put my finger on it, but he gave off an uncomfortable aura that was so strange to me. But he seemed like a nice guy who was harmless.

He knocked on the door, and then opened it slightly. "Master Ansem, I'm sorry to disturb you, but Misuki would like to see you."

"Bring her in." he ordered. Xeanort gestured me to go in the room, and closed the door. "Hello, Misuki." He greeted after the door closed behind me. "Would you like to continue your English lesson?"

"Yes, Ansem the Wise." I said.

"Just call me Ansem, my dear. It's easier to say." He chuckled.

"Yes sir." I said, pulling up a chair in front of his desk. I took out a book from the pile on his desk that was titled 'Level 3 English.' I handed him the book and let him examine it for a while.

"Are you sure you want to move to the next level, Misuki." He asked me, unsure about my choice of lesson. I nodded, and waited for him to begin the lesson. He smiled at me and opened the book to chapter one. I repeated every sentence he told me. Some were very difficult, but I stuck to them hard and strong. I never thought about giving up. I pushed myself to learn this language, even if it took forever.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Today was super boring. I finished KH2 for the third time since I've had the game, and watched Demyx Time for almost 3-4 hours. Decided to go ahead and update this chapter to add onto the Kingdom Hearts mood that is in the atmosphere of my room ^^

Please R&R and enjoy!


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

Two years have passed since I first came to live with Ansem, and I've never been happier. I finally spoke fluent English, and I have taught myself self-defense; with the help of Aeleus and Dilan of course. I only learned their names a few days ago, because I hardly ever saw them the first year, until they saw me in the garden, practicing my combat skills two weeks ago. After that, they wanted to help me expand my knowledge of fighting and protecting myself. Braig helped out with my guarding and dodging. He also taught me how to aim and use a bow and arrow. Hanging out with them was always fun.

"Misuki!" I heard Ansem call my name. "Could you come see me for a moment? There's someone I'd like for you to meet!"

"Okay, I'm coming!" I called back. I quickly grabbed my towel and ran after him inside.

"I see your training is going well." He said as we walked down the hall side by side.

I nodded. "Braig says I'm doing a lot better with the bow and arrow. I can shoot a target with my eyes closed. You should watch me sometime." I couldn't hide my enthusiasm. I was so pumped after that session, that I felt like I couldn't sit still. We finally arrived at Ansem's office. When he opened the door, I saw a very unusual person standing in the middle of the room. He had the biggest round ears I've ever seen in my life. I couldn't help but stare at them. They seemed so familiar to me, but I couldn't remember from where. It probably was a long time ago, so I just put it out of my head. But the sensation that I've met him, still lingered in the back of my mind.

"Misuki, I'd like you meet King Mickey. He is a very close friend of mine." He was a…King? At that point, I froze. I've never met anyone royal before, so I felt like I insulted him with how I was dressed and covered in sweat.

"Nice to meet you, your majesty." I said bowing to him.

The king laughed at my nervousness. He could tell I was scared. "You don't have to bow. But it's nice to finally meet you too. Ansem has told me a lot about you. I think you're a special girl." In his eyes, it looked as if he'd recognized me too.

I was flattered at his compliment. "Thank you very much." I chuckled. "So…you're a King?" I had to ask. I didn't want to stop the conversation.

"Yup, that's me. Anything that goes wrong anywhere, I'm the first to know about it. I have lots of followers who always alert me when there's danger. Which reminds me. Chip! Dale!" he called out two names, and I stared at the door to see who'd appear. When the door opened, two little chipmunks scurried toward King Mickey and saluted him.

"Chip…"

"…and Dale,"

"reporting for duty, your majesty!" they both spoke at the same time. I could tell by looking at them they were brothers, but Chip had a black nose and Dale had a red nose, along with two buck teeth.

"Fellas, this is Ansem's adopted daughter, Misuki." King Mickey introduced me to the chipmunks. All I was thinking when they looked at me was how adorable they were. They were cute enough to be house pets or something.

"Nice to meet ya." Dale greeted.

"Yeah, what's up?" Chip had the cutest high-pitched voice I've ever heard. They crawled up my legs and arms, and stood on both of my shoulders. Chip was on my right shoulder while Dale was on my left.

"Hi, guys. It's an honor to meet the both of you." I said, smiling at them. "You are so cute!" They giggled and ran all over me.

"So, Misuki, I want you to tell me about your village." Ansem said out of nowhere. I looked at him in shock. "The reason I invited King Mickey here, was to learn about your past, and help you with any problems you have."

I paused at this sudden outburst. I didn't know what to say, or where to start on my story. I felt myself crying, but I fought the tears back, because I didn't want them to see me like this.

But Ansem saw I was upset. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He told me.

"No." I said, wiping my eyes dry. "I don't mind telling you. I've sort of wanted to tell you from the beginning." Chip handed me a tissue. I took it, blew my nose, and then began my story. "My village was on a small island that wasn't on any map. No one knew about it, which was good for me and my people because we were safe from the outside world trying to control us. These marks on my face, are the marks of a warrior. Certain people were chosen to go out and hunt for food. Mostly women do the hunting, but there were some men who hunted. The men's job was in the fields planting veggies and herbs. If the men had a family, they couldn't leave their family to hunt."

"So you were chosen to hunt and kill animals?" Ansem asked me.

"Yes. I was the youngest one to catch my first kill in centuries. I caught my first kill when I was a year old. It was a big deal, because I hunted on the south side of the island, which was very dangerous. I killed a wild boar, and carried it back to the village by myself. They had a ceremony for me, and that's when I first got my marks. They were painted on me with special material that won't ever wash off. I don't know what it is, but when it is first applied, it tingles for a while. From that day on, I was well respected in the village. My father was very proud of me, and was praised for having a gifted daughter. If they wanted good meat, they relied on me. After that, the Priestess of my village, Diana taught me how to mix herbs and spices to make medicine and poisons. She helped my father raise me, because my mother died giving birth to me."

"I'm so sorry." King Mickey said softly.

"After I was born, she developed a disease that killed her a week after my birth. So Diana helped raise me. She was a great mother figure." I took a break to fight back my tears again, from thinking about Diana and my mother. "Anyway, when I was three, the volcano on the island that we thought was dormant, suddenly erupted, and lava flowed into the village. Everyone prayed to the gods to spare them, but it didn't work. Diana told my father there was a boat on the other side of the island. It was made five years ago by her great-great-great grandfather, to make fishing easier. But Diana made it forbidden for anyone to go near it. She told my dad to take me to safety. So that's how I got here."

"But where is your father?" Ansem asked me.

"The second day we arrived, he was beaten to death by some mean big kids. He told me to run away and not look back. I didn't have any other choice, so I ran as fast as I could. I wanted to fight them off, but my father claimed I'd get hurt. He didn't think I was strong enough to fight them on my own. And he was weak from our travel." After I told my story, I saw the sorry look in Ansem's eyes. I could tell he felt so bad for me, and couldn't understand how I could survive all that I've been through and still hold a smile. He walked up to me and hugged me.

"You've been through so much, and yet you act as if everything is okay."

"I…uh…just think about all the fun things I've done in my life and laugh to myself. That helps me stay happy, and go on living life." I whispered it to him, as he held me tight. "Uhh, Master Ansem…I can't breathe."

"Right, I'm sorry." He finally let me go.

"Anyway, my father always told me not to be sad about losing someone close because they're always with me no matter what." I smiled at him, and took his hand. "Plus, you're kind of like a father figure to me. When you saved me from those bullies, I knew you had a kind heart." I wiped the last few tears that were left behind with my towel. "Well, I better get back to my training. Dilan will make me do push-ups if I'm late. Bye Chip, bye Dale. Good-bye your majesty." I bowed to him and proceeded to head out the door.

As I was about to go out the door, King Mickey stopped me. "Misuki, hang on a minute." I turned to him with a curious look. "How about I let Chip and Dale stay here and keep you company?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked him, looking at the two chipmunks.

"Well, I was thinking if Ansem is working, they can play with you and help you with your training."

I couldn't believe what he just said.

"That's a great idea, my friend." Ansem said. "Are you two okay with that?"

"Sure." Chip agreed.

"I think it'd be swell!" Dale exclaimed. "What do ya say, Misuki?" he and everyone else turned to me for my decision.

I thought it was a good idea, but I felt bad taking the king's loyal subjects, but when I looked at him, he seemed okay with it. He wanted to do something good for me. "Okay, I like that idea! Thanks King Mickey!" I bowed to him, and then bent down to let Chip and Dale climb on my shoulders. When they did, we laughed and laughed. "This is the best!"

"Anything you need just let me know." King Mickey said with a smile. "Now you better run off."

I ran back to the garden, where Dilan and Braig were waiting for me. When I arrived, Chip and Dale jumped off my shoulders and sat on top of the bushes. "I'll be done in a little bit. You two just wait here." After they saluted me, I ran back to continue my training.

"Let's get back to business." Braig said, aiming his gun at me. I got into my fighting position, ready to attack and dodge. In the blink of an eye, he began firing at me one bullet after another. I easily dodged all of them, getting closer and closer to Braig to attack him head on. Once I was close enough, I kicked his weapon out of his hand, and kicked him to the ground. "Good, you've finally got it." He said as he got back up and took his weapon back. As I was setting up for my final training practice, Even came out in a panic.

"Have any of you seen Ienzo?" When he said those words, I froze.

"Is he missing?" Dilan asked.

"I checked everywhere in the mansion, and he's nowhere to be found." As they talked, I tried to sense Ienzo's heart. He was close, but something was wrong. It felt like he was somewhat scared. I then sensed he must be in danger. Without saying a word, I ran through the mansion, and straight out the front door. I heard Even call out to me, but I didn't hear him cause I was too far. I didn't have time to stop and explain anything to them, because Ienzo was in danger, and I had to hurry. I was in such a hurry, I forgot all about Chip and Dale, but I knew they'd understand.

"Ienzo, where are you?" I called to him. "Ienzo! Can you hear me?" I finally found him standing in the middle of what looked like an old fountain. He was surrounded by strange creatures that were black with yellow eyes. "Ienzo, look out!" I ran to his side, jumping in front of him. "Stay behind me." What was I supposed to do? I wasn't strong enough to take on these things. They looked like they'd rip me to shreds. "Ienzo, I want you to run. Get out of here now!" Without saying anything, he ran away to hide. I was left alone with these things. I was shaken up, afraid of what was going to happen to me. Without thinking, I attacked the creatures one by one. But it didn't work because they sunk into the shadows and attacked me from all sides. Before I knew it, they had me pinned to the ground. I wanted to scream, but nothing would come out. I was helpless; this is it for me. I'm going to see my mother for the first time. Mommy, I'm coming. Daddy…I'm so happy to see you again.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Axel: Okay I get it! She's had a hard childhood, Heartless come and attack her blah blah blah...WHEN DO I GET MY SCREEN TIME!

Me: For the love of God, if you complain one more time I will shank you! Besides, there are three more characters that come in before you

Axel: Three more? Who are they?

Me: ^w^ heehee you'll have to find out when they come in.

Axel: Aww come on! Tell me!

Me: Nope.

Axel: I'll take my jacket off. *begins to strip*

Me: 0_o *nosebleed*

*Riku throws a shoe at Axel's head*

Me: Whew, thanks Riku.

Riku: No prob. Besides, everyone knows I'm the sexiest character in Kingdom Hearts.

Axel: Excuse me, bitch? What did you say? :(

Riku: I'm...the sexiest...character.

Axel: *summons chakrams* Let's see how sexy you are when you're bleeding and have third degree burns on your body!

Riku: *summons keyblade* Bring it on, jack-ass!

*Axel and Riku fight*

Me: *facepalm* Please read and respond while I separate these clowns. Thanks and stay tuned.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

I was surrounded by a bright light and laying down on something soft. I felt a hand on mine, holding it tight. Dad, is that you? I mumbled in my native language, and finally came to. I found out I was back in the hospital wing, with Ansem next to me.

"Thank goodness you're alright." He said with a sigh of relief.

"Misuki, you're awake!" Chip and Dale exclaimed together, jumping up and down beside me.

"Wh-What happened to me?" I asked, still in a daze.

"You ran off in a hurry to somewhere. Fifteen minutes later, Ienzo came back and explained everything to us, and when we found you, you were passed out. What were you doing?"

I tried to remember what went on, but I kept drawing a blank. "All I remember was looking for Ienzo, then…nothing. I don't recall anything after that." I stared into space, trying to recall what happened. But all I could remember was looking for Ienzo, and then passing out. But I felt like something else happened.

Ansem got up to talk to Even. I kept staring at the ceiling, going through every inch of my brain to find out what I left out while looking for Ienzo. It was there, but I couldn't find it. The more I thought about it, the more my head began hurting. I gripped it, trying to relax to make the pain go away.

"Here, drink this." Ansem gave me a little cup with red thick liquid inside it. "It's medicine. This will help you take the pain in your head away and help you sleep." I took it, and drank it in one gulp. It was a very bitter, but I knew it would help me get better. I gave the empty cup back to Ansem.

"Thank you, Ansem." I said, lying back in the bed.

"Xeanort will come in a little later to check your I.V. and take your temperature. Come Chip and Dale, Misuki needs to get some sleep."

"Umm, Master Ansem? If it's okay, I want Chip and Dale to stay with me." I looked at him with a sleepy look. The medicine was kicking in. "I don't want to be by myself." My voice was cracking and getting softer because of the medicine.

Ansem smiled at me. "Of course they can." When he said that, Chip and Dale snuggled by my pillow, getting comfortable and ready for a nap. "Sweet dreams, Misuki." He turned out the lights and closed the door. The second he left, I instantly fell asleep.

I was in town; alone. It was so dark and foggy I could barely see my hand in front of my face. I walked around, hoping to find someone else in town. But I didn't find anyone. What was this strange place, and what was going on? I felt like the world was shifting around me; reality was breaking down and taking everything apart all around me.

I was trying to get a sense of what was happening, when I saw a shadow moving in the distance. Someone was there. "Hello?" I called out to it, but it kept running away from me. "Wait up! Please! Can you help me?" I chased after it, but it was too fast. I felt like I was chasing nothing, but I kept going anyway. It headed into an alleyway, and stopped. I finally caught up to it, and blocked the only way out. "Hey you! Why are you running away from me? What are you doing here?" The shadow figure kept looking at me, not saying a single word. I moved a little closer to try and see who this figure was, and what the point was for him being here. As I got closer, I began seeing that the figure wasn't exactly human. It had scary yellow eyes, and long antennas. As I examined it, I had a strange feeling that I've seen this thing before. It lunged at me and pinned me to the ground. The strength of it was enormous, and its grip was so tight, I felt bruises forming on my wrists. I didn't even try to struggle free because my body froze up to the point where my skin became cold as ice and my skin was becoming pale. Whatever this thing was doing to me, it was painless, and I didn't feel a thing.

I stared into the dark sky, waiting for my father's hand to take me away. But all I heard was a familiar voice. "Misuki, can you hear me?" It wasn't my father, but I definitely knew the voice. I couldn't figure out who it was. My mind kept ignoring it, and just let my body numb slowly. I looked at my hands, and saw I was becoming transparent. The process was happening fast. "Misuki, wake up. You need to wake up." The voice was in the air and all around me. I couldn't grasp what was going on around me. Time had slowed down completely. As soon as time stopped, everything began fading away; including the shadow creature. It felt as if I was floating up to the sky.

"Misuki, can you hear me?" I woke up to see Xeanort hovering over my bed, with his warm hand on my head. It was his voice that was calling out to me.

I slowly sat up, and tried to remember where I was. Then, everything came back to me. "Master Xeanort…what happened?" I whispered, not being able to find my voice.

"It seemed like you were having a nightmare. Judging by your brainwaves in this monitor," he pointed to a screen that showed my brain and different colors on different sections. "you were having a repressed memory of some kind."

"What's a…repressed memory?" I asked him, trying to refocus my eyes and un-blur my vision.

"It's a memory in which you refuse to remember and abandon it. Later in life, depending on how much it impacted you in the past it comes back in your dreams and haunts you, until you figure out the problem. Sometimes repressed memories have clues that help you in the future."

"I see." Was all I could say as he pulled something from one of the top drawers. In his hand was a strange device that had a little screen in the center of it. The tip was silver, but the rest was a bright tan color.

"This is called a thermometer." he explained. "It'll read your body temperature, and display the numbers on this little screen. Now open your mouth and place this under your tongue." I did what he instructed, and let him place the metal tip of the thermometer in my mouth. "Good. Now keep it there until it beeps. In the meantime, I'll change your head bandage." He un-wrapped the bandage on my head and replaced it with a new one that was washed with ice cold water. He wrapped the new bandage around my head, and checked my I.V. After all that, the thermometer started beeping rapidly. Xeanort reached over and took the thermometer out of my mouth, and looked at the screen for a while.

"You've seemed to recover perfectly. You're temperature is 98.5. The normal human temperature is 98.6."

"So I'm all better?" I asked him, sitting up in bed.

"Yes, but Master Ansem wants you to stay here for a little longer. When he comes in, he'll look at you and then he'll let you leave."

I was excited at what he said. Then something popped up in my head that told me Xeanort was acting very strange. Maybe that creature in my dream was a sign that something was happening. "Master Xeanort? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, what is it?" He asked me, waiting for my question.

I took a deep breath and spoke my mind. "Do you know anything about shadow creatures with yellow eyes?"

He froze at my question, like he was hit by a bullet. I could tell by the look in his eyes, that he was hiding something. I could tell he was trying to think of a lie to tell me. I pretended to be surprised by his answer. "No, I don't believe I know anything about shadow creatures. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. Thanks anyway." His heart beat unsteadily. I knew he lied about not knowing about the shadow creatures. Something was seriously wrong with Master Xeanort. And I suddenly had a feeling that things were going to get a lot stranger.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

I fully recovered in two hours, and just sat up in the tree in the garden. There was a lot on my mind; questions, answers, the shadow creatures…and Xeanort. I wanted to ask Master Ansem if something was bothering Xeanort, but I was afraid if I did, it would upset him. When he said I could leave the hospital wing, I went ahead and asked him about Xeanort, and told him he was acting weird. He didn't say anything to me. He seemed a little uneasy.

Actually, it wasn't just Xeanort that was acting strange. Dilan and Aeleus seemed like zombies as they guarded the castle. They acted like they've never seen me before. Even was always locked in his room, doing research or something with Xeanort's assistance. Braig really hasn't changed at all. He seems the same on the outside, but it seemed like he had an objective to something, but I couldn't clearly read his heart. Ienzo…was unreadable. I couldn't really read anything about that boy. He was a being that was hiding something dark inside of him. What was going on in this mansion?

"Misuki! Misuki!" I looked down and saw Chip and Dale run up the tree to find me. They looked panicked.

"What's wrong you guys? Your fur is standing on end."

"It's Xeanort and the others! Something happened!" Dale shouted between gasps of breath.

"What did you say?"

Chip finished off the rest of the story with the most shocking news ever. "On top of all that, Ansem the Wise is missing! We looked everywhere for him, but we couldn't find any trace of him!"

"How did I not sense any of this!" I leaped out of the tree and ran inside. It was a complete mess. "Master Ansem! Where are you!" I called down the halls, and waited for an answer. No one called back. My worst fears came true. My first instinct was to check his office. Maybe there was a clue or something in there.

"Misuki, wait up! Where are you going!" I heard Chip call to me, but I ignored him because I was worried about Master Ansem. I felt he was in grave danger. When I got to his office, all his books and files were scattered on the floor. I stood in the doorway, not believing anything that's going on right now.

"Misuki, are you okay?" Dale asked me. I didn't answer him. I walked around, trying to convince myself that this was all just a dream.

"Master Ansem, where have you gone?" I whispered to myself. I picked up some of the books, and looked over them. The one that made me zone out was the book that helped me learn English. 'English 101.' I began having flashbacks about when Master Ansem took time out of his schedule to teach me.

"Misuki, look what we found." Dale's voice brought me back to reality. He held up a note that was lying on the desk. "It's a letter from Ansem."

"Ansem!" I ran over to the desk and took the note from Dale. I read it carefully:

_ Dear Misuki, _

_If you're reading this, then that means something terrible has happened._

_A door that was not meant to be open has been opened, and it has put the world out of balance. I can't explain in words what has happened, so I am counting on you to keep an eye on the mansion. I've alerted the King about this, and he is working on the situation as well. He will check on you soon. _

_Stay safe._

_Ansem._

"What door is he talking about?" I asked Chip and Dale. They looked at each other and shrugged. I looked back at the note, and re-read it.

"I wonder what happened to Xeanort and the others." I asked myself. Maybe they had something to do with this door opening or something.

"Misuki, look out behind you!"

I turned around to see a shadow creature lunge at me and try to attack, but I was able to dodge it and kick it in the face. "Why do those things keep following me! Chip, Dale jump in my pockets and hang on tight!" I grabbed them and put them in my pockets, and ran as fast as I could. I felt weightless as I ran. But it didn't matter because the creatures were close behind me. "We've got to find a place to hide! But where?" It was hard to think while running for my life. As I ran further down the hall, more shadow creatures appeared, and surrounded me. Before I knew it I was cornered.

"What do we do now?" Dale asked, shaking in my pocket trying to dig deeper to hide.

"I could fight them off, but I don't know how much good that will do us." Either way, I didn't have much of a choice. It was either fight or give up. Giving up…was unacceptable in this situation. "Okay you freaks…come and get me!" I charged at a group of them and started swinging and kicking. I had to keep them at bay for as long as I could. At first it was working. They disappeared one at a time, but then more and more started coming. Soon there was too many for me to take on alone.

"You can't fight all of them off by yourself, Misuki." Dale told me, climbing onto my shoulder.

"He's right." Chip agreed. "There must be something else we can do to get away." I wish he was right. But there was no way out of this. My strength was burned out, and I couldn't throw a straight punch.

"Someone HELP US!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, waiting for a miracle to save us.

"I'm here, Misuki! Leave everything to me!" Out of nowhere, King Mickey had come to our rescue just in time. I let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Your majesty, you came for us!" Chip and Dale jumped excitedly on my shoulders. I think they were happier to see the King more than I was.

"Misuki, I'll distract them while you make for the exit."

"No way, I'm staying with you!" I insisted, prepared to fight again, even though I was running on nothing.

"That's an order, Misuki! Get out of here now! Before more show up!"

There was no arguing with King Mickey, so I followed his orders and ran for the nearest exit. "Are you guys sure the King can handle those creatures on his own?" I asked Chip and Dale.

"If anyone can take down that many of those creatures, it's the King." Chip said.

"Yeah, the King is very powerful. He'll be just fine." Dale said. I had no choice but to go with them. If the King is strong enough, the Ill trust him to protect me. The exit wasn't far, I just had to go around one more corner but something else was waiting for me. "Where are these things coming from?" Once again, we were surrounded. King Mickey was still fighting the first group of shadow creatures, so there was no way he could come to me in time.

"What do we do now?" I began crying out of complete and total fear. It was exactly like my dream, except there was more than one, but the outcome was the same: I was doomed. All I could do was close my eyes and shield myself as best I could. They attacked me, and threw me onto the ground. "NNNOOOOOO!" My screaming released a bright light that filled the room.

I woke up in the middle of the hallway, completely dazed. It took me a while to remember where I was and what was going on. Last thing I remember was the shadow creatures attacking me, but when I came to they were gone and I was still alive. As I got up, my hand landed on something I've never seen before. It was a giant key with a heart-shaped handle and blade at the end of it. It looked like a sword of some kind. I picked it up, examining it and watched as it began to glow a bright purple. Maybe this could help me defeat the shadow creatures.

"Misuki…come quick!" I heard Chip scream from where King Mickey was.

"Chip, Dale I'm coming!" I ran as quickly as I could to where they were ready to fight anything that got in my way. I gripped my new key weapon in my hand and started swinging at the shadow creatures that appeared in the middle of the hall. They easily went down and faded away.

"Chip, Dale, your majesty!" When I finally reached them, I saw King Mickey against the wall, and Chip and Dale behind him.

"Misuki stay back!" When he said that, the creatures turned their attention to me and attacked. They began surrounding me, not giving me anywhere to run.

I did my best to show no fear and remain calm and cool. I saw them as prey on my island, and I am the predator; I'm waiting for the perfect moment to strike and kill. I stared at each and every one of them, watching every movement they made, trying to read them and make them make the first move. One of them, at last took one step toward me and I attacked him without hesitation. My attack was quick and stealthy; it looked as if I attacked it without moving an inch. I smirked a little, and attacked again and again. It took me three minutes to kill the remaining shadow creatures surrounding me. King Mickey was astounded by my skill with the giant key.

"Misuki that was amazing!" Dale said, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Thanks, but it was nothing. I just thought of the first time I went hunting on my own and used my method of stalking and pouncing and attacked without them knowing what was happening."

"Let me see that key, Misuki." King Mickey held out his hand, wanting to examine the key I had. I handed it to him, and waited to hear what he had to say. Before he could say anything, the key vanished from his hand and back to mine.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long with the revision of this chapter. was acting up. But I'm back and so is this chapter. Oh, if you're wondering about Axel and Riku, don't worry ^_^; They knocked each other out, so now they're both lying in bed. Riku has some minor burns and scrapes while Axel has scrapes and bruises. I managed to stop them before they went too far. Namine is currently erasing their memories of the fight. It'll take a while, but they'll be back in no time.

Anyway, please R&R Thanks ^^


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

When the key was back in my hands, I was speechless. It came back to me like I was connected to it.

"That special weapon is called a keyblade." King Mickey explained.

"Key…blade?"

"A keyblade is a special weapon that destroys and repels the Heartless."

"What is a…Heartless?"

The King had a surprised look on his face. "You don't know what the Heartless are? You just fought them not to long ago."

I processed everything for a while. Then everything was clear. "So that's what those shadow creatures are called: Heartless?"

"That's right." Chip said. "A Heartless is a creature that is formed from the Darkness of a person's heart. The Heartless go around stealing other people's hearts."

"That's terrible! So the keyblade stops them?" I asked, admiring it's beauty and design.

"That's right. When a Heartless is destroyed by the keyblade it releases a captive heart."

All this was way too much to keep up with. "But why do I have the keyblade?"

"Because it chose you to be one of the warriors to defend the world from the Heartless. It's your destiny."

"Destiny? Do you mean there are others that wield a keyblade?"

"Yes. There are others out there that have keyblades and defend the world; including me." King Mickey held out his hand, and his keyblade appeared out of nowhere. His actually looked like a regular key, only super sized with a golden handle. "This is my keyblade. I call it the 'Kingdom Key.'"

I stared at the King's key in amazement, until he made it disappear. I looked at mine and thought hard about how I wanted the keyblade to disappear as well, and sure enough it did. But I knew I had a lot more training to go through before I fully became a keyblade master like King Mickey.

"I have to go now, Misuki." The King said after a while of silence.

"What do you mean, your majesty? Why do you have to leave?"

"I have to make sure the Heartless aren't around this area, and look for Ansem the Wise."

When he mentioned Ansem, I wanted to join him in the search as well. "Please King Mickey...I want to come with you. Ansem the Wise has done so much for me. I want to help you find him."

"It's too dangerous." He told me. "Besides, you still need to master your keyblade. It has a special ability that you need to find and master before you're ready to fully use it in real battle."

"Fighting those Heartless was a real battle. They're not so tough. I can take 100 Heartless on alone."

"The only reason you could defeat those Heartless back there, was because they were only level one. There are other Heartless that are bigger, stronger and more powerful. If you went against those kinds of Heartless, they would destroy you and steal your heart in the blink of an eye." King Mickey's explanation brought a lot of thought to me. "I need you to stay here, and get use to your keyblade. Understand?"

I sighed and said, "I understand."

"I'll have someone come over and check on you as soon as I can. Chip, Dale, take care of Misuki while I'm gone."

"Yes sir!" Chip and Dale said, saluting and standing up straight.

"Good luck, King Mickey. Be careful." I said.

"Thank you, Misuki."

As he left, I said one more thing. "When you find Ansem the Wise, tell him to come home. Also tell him I'm okay."

King Mickey nodded, and went off on his adventure. I stood there, wondering if he was going to be okay, but I knew doubting the King was bad luck, so I said a silent prayer to keep him safe. "Come on guys." I looked down at Chip and Dale. "We have work to do. My keyblade training starts now."

"We're right behind you, Misuki." Chip said as he saluted me.

"Yeah, we'll be with all the way!" Dale said. With their help, I knew I could master my keyblade in no time at all.

I started my training early the next morning with basic work-outs. I figured if I was going to master my keyblade, I'd have to be in good shape, so I could push myself harder and harder. I began with running five miles, then doing sit-ups and push-ups. I did all the basic training my father taught me on my island before I was ready to hunt. So my exercise routine was really easy. I even trained far away from Radiant Garden; somewhere up in the mountains where it was easy for me to concentrate my energy and focus all my senses. I became one with the nature that surrounded me.

The first thing I did once I was up in the mountains was climb a giant mountain all the way to the top. As I climbed to the top, I kept thinking about Ansem the Wise and the King, hoping they were okay. 'I will get stronger, Master Ansem.' I thought to myself over and over again. 'I will find you…and bring you back safely.' When I finally reached the top, I came across a wild bear that began growling the moment he saw me. "Good, I needed another work-out." I stood my ground as it came at me with full speed. Once it was within a foot away from me, I struck it in the chest and knocked him back. I didn't even make contact with it; it was the pressure from my energy that hit it. It got up and ran away growling. "That was too easy." I looked up at the sky and saw it was getting dark. "I'd better find some food before it gets too dark."

It only took me three minutes to gather different types of fruits, and carry them to a nearby cave I had made my home. Being out in the wild reminded me of being back in my village, surviving off the land and learning to hunt for myself. Memories of my father flashed in my head of him teaching me how to shoot an arrow and skin a dead animal. "All your teachings haven't gone to waste, dad." I whispered to myself. "I just wish you were here with me." As I drifted off to sleep, I sensed danger very close to me. I woke up to find Heartless surrounding me. "So you managed to find me out here? That doesn't mean you'll have the upper hand!" I held out my hand and let the keyblade appear to me. They all came at me at once, but I managed to push them back and destroy them in no time flat. Now I couldn't get to sleep. There was no way I'd be able to sleep, knowing that Heartless would come and attack me out of nowhere.

The next morning I found a spring that was flowing a few miles away from my cave. I stopped there and took a drink from it, letting its crisp taste calm my body and settle my nerves. "You're doing well for yourself." I quickly turned around to see a mysterious figure covered by a dark cloak. "You're quite the survivalist. What is your name?"

Something inside me told that this person was a little off. I hid my suspicion and told him my name. "My name is Misuki. Who are you?"

"I am just a figure that resides in Darkness, unlike you who reside in the realm of Light. Our worlds are very far apart, but at the same time are very close."

"Listen, I don't know what you're talking about, but I have important things to do, so if you'll excuse me."

The next thing he said stopped me cold in my tracks. "You're working to become stronger so you can unlock the powers of your keyblade. Am I right?"

Okay now I know there's something seriously off about this guy. How did he know about my keyblade? Was he one of the keyblade wielders King Mickey talked about? I turned back around to face the figure, keyblade in hand ready to strike. "How do you know about my keyblade? Do you have one?"

He chuckled. "I do not. The keyblade can only be wielded by a pure heart; one that lives in the realm of Light." As he said that, I noticed that he began to fade away. "Wait, come back here!" By the time I got to where he was standing, he was gone. 'What was that all about?' I thought to myself. 'I have a bad feeling that things are not going to get any easier.'

The rest of my training consisted of just hunting and tracking, along with more wrestling with some of the animals that challenged me. I did get attacked several times by Heartless as I headed back to Radiant Garden, but they were easy to get rid of. Some of them where stronger and more evolved like the king said. But I managed to stand my ground and push my way through the ambush.

When I finally came up to the mansion, I took in a deep breath and absorbed everything around me. "It's good to be home." I couldn't wait to see the look on Chip and Dale's faces when they saw me. I bet they've been missing me a whole lot. "Chip, Dale, I'm back!" In a flash, Chip crawled up my leg and onto my shoulder.

"You're finally home!" He exclaimed.

"Oh boy, Misuki's back at last!" Dale cheered.

I forgot how soft their fur was. It was so good to see them again. "I missed you guys too."

"How was your training?" Dale asked me.

"It was great. Being out in the wild again brought back some good memories." Talking about my experience in the wilderness actually made me hungry. I was ready for a nice home cooked meal. "How about in celebration of my return, I make us something extra delicious? I was able to find some super rare ingredients in the forest and decided to bring them back with me."

"That sounds like a good idea." Chip said, rubbing his belly.

"Yeah, we haven't had a decent meal in a while. We had to eat leftovers while you were gone."

I laughed. "Okay, I'll get started." I headed to the kitchen and began cooking. The guys and I spent the rest of the day hanging out and just having a good time. By three in the morning, we all passed out in the living room on the couch.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hey people! Sorry for taking so long to update this chapter. I had to get through work and college assignments. Plus I had my head locked in video games to relieve stress. Axel and Riku are awake and fully healed. Right now both are in their trailers preparing for their appearance in the story.

Hope you all enjoy the chapter ^^ Please R&R. Thank you.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

King Mickey told me that wielding the keyblade was my destiny, and it was a huge responsibility. This made me a little nervous because I was now officially on my own. I mean, Chip and Dale can't help me; all they can do is cheer me on from the sidelines.

As I slashed the keyblade in the garden, I felt myself become stronger and more experienced. It was as if the keyblade was a part of me. There was something connecting us to become one whole being. Everything disappeared around me, leaving only the keyblade and me alone. I heard it calling to me...telling me that I was strong and I could do anything.

"Misuki, come here for a minute! We have something for you!" Chip's voice brought me back to reality. I let the keyblade vanish from my hand, and then walked over to him.

"What is it, Chip?" I said, gasping from my hours and hours of training.

"Me and Dale have a surprise for you in your room. Follow me!" He rushed back into the house, where I followed close behind. I was anxious to see this surprise he mentioned. I really love surprises, so I was excited to see what it was. We finally stopped in front of my bedroom door. "Stay right here. I need to make sure it's ready. No peeking, promise?"

"I promise not to peek, Chip." I giggled.

"Okay then, be right back." He slipped under the door, leaving me alone in the hall. I put my ear to the door to try and hear what was going on, but it was hard. They were chipmunks, so they were good at whispering to where no one else could hear them.

After three minutes of anticipation, I finally heard Chip yell, "Okay, Misuki! Everything's ready, so come in!" With that, I slowly opened the door and saw balloons all around my room, and a little birthday cake with white and purple frosting, along with thirteen birthday candles lighting up the whole room.

"Happy Birthday, Misuki!" Chip and Dale exclaimed, jumping ecstatically on the bed right by the cake.

I was so excited that I didn't know what to say.

"You didn't think we forgot did you?" Dale said running from the bed onto my shoulder.

"We've been planning it for weeks!" Chip said. "It was hard to get everything we needed. But luckily King Mickey was able to help us out. He sent the cake and the balloons. But Dale and I did the decorations all by ourselves!"

"I really don't know what to say! You guys are the best!" I took both of them and hugged them as tight as I could. They didn't mind that I was choking them. All they did was laugh.

"Hurry up and blow out your candles, before they burn out!" Dale said.

"And don't forget to make a big wish!" Chip said.

I sat on my bed and set the cake in my lap. What was I going to wish for? There were so many things I wanted, but I couldn't make up my mind. Then it came to me. I closed my eyes and thought about Ansem the Wise. I whispered my wish. "I wish Ansem to be safe wherever he is. And that he comes back real soon." I inhaled a deep breath and blew out my candles. As I did, Chip and Dale let out a big "HOORAY!" and began to sample a little of the cake. I took a small piece and ate it. It was the best cake I've ever had!

"This cake is delicious! You guys said the King sent this?" I asked.

"Yep, it was from when you went to train far away for a while. We asked the King if he could send a special cake from the castle and bring it here." Dale explained.

"Also, he wanted us to wish you a happy birthday from him, and he said he'll see you real soon."

King Mickey really was a nice person. Sometimes he reminds me of Ansem, and how he was kind to me when he first saw me. It felt like my island; everyone cared for me and did everything to make me happy. I was never alone then, and I'm definitely not alone now.

After we celebrated my birthday, I decided to take a break from training and just take a walk through the town. I never really got a chance to explore this place because I was afraid. But now I wanted to get to know all the people living here. Everyone was so busy, but they still looked happy. There were children always running around and playing with each other and just having a good time. Even though I've traveled the town with Ansem in the past, I never really got to take in the atmosphere.

"Wow, the people here seem to have a lot of energy."

"It looks like it. Not even the castle where the King lives is this busy." Chip agreed.

"You mean you guys have never explored this town either?" I was a little shocked because I thought they came here all the time.

"Nope. We've never been away or outside the castle before. Our first time was when the King brought us to meet you. We usually stay in the castle and keep it running at full capacity making sure everything is in perfect condition."

This came as a total surprise to me. "I guess this means we're all learning something new. This is awesome!" As I talked with Chip and Dale, I began feeling a strange sensation that ran through all parts of my body. I looked around to find something out of the ordinary, but everything looked normal. Then what was this feeling?

"Misuki, are you alright?" Chip asked me.

At that point, the sensation was gone. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry about me. Come on, let's keep going." I ignored the sensation and just kept going. We stopped at a food court to get a bite to eat. We sat down by a beautiful fountain in the center of the park and ate our food. As I ate, I sort of spaced out and let everything vanish around me. I wasn't really thinking about anything. I was just letting myself get lost in my own world.

I finally snapped out of it, when I heard a little girl scream. I jumped up and ran to where she was. I didn't even hear Chip and Dale yell for me to slow down. I found the little girl backed up in a corner of an alleyway by Heartless. 'This is just like a dream I had when I was younger.' I thought to myself. I ignored my strange case of déjà vu and went to help the girl. "Hey, shadow freaks!" The Heartless quickly turned their attention to me. "You guys are seriously getting on my last nerves. When you get your butts whooped several hundred times, you're supposed to surrender and plead for mercy. But if not, then more fun for me!" With my keyblade, I slashed the Heartless in no time at all. After they were all gone, I went to help the little girl. "Are you okay?" I held my hand out to her, but she was still scared. "It's alright, I won't hurt you. The shadow creatures are all gone." I got down to her level and got rid of the keyblade so she'd feel safe. She glanced at me for a while, and then ran into my arms crying.

"I want my mommy! Mommy!" she cried.

"Okay, I'll help you find your mother." I stood her up on her feet and held her hand. As we walked out of the alleyway and back into the central part of town, I took her to every shop to see if anyone knew the girl's mother. No one seemed to know except the woman who worked at the jewelry store.

"Excuse me, could you help me find this girl's mother? I found her wandering alone."

The woman adjusted her glasses, and took a good long look at the little girl. "Oh yes, I know you. You're little Annabel."

Annabel shyly nodded her head.

"Your name is Annabel?" I asked her. She nodded again.

"Yes, her mother is a regular customer of mine. She comes all the time to buy necklaces. She was actually here not too long ago."

"Where did she go?" I asked her.

The woman had to think for a minute. "I believe she said she was going to the train station to look for Annabel. She should still be there."

"Thank you so much. Come on Annabel. We have to catch your mother before we miss her." I held Annabel's hand as tight as I could and rushed to the station. I was envious of Annabel a little because she still had a mother. It made me think of what my mother was like. I wish I got to know her. I bet she was a kind person, who always thought of others.

"We're at the station." I said. "Look out for your mother. She should be around here somewhere." We went into the train station, when we heard a woman yell Annabel's name.

We turned around to see a woman in a bright yellow summer dress holding her arms out. "Mommy!" Annabel released my hand and ran into her mother's arms, where she began crying.

"My little Annabel, where have you been? I was so worried."

"I found her all by herself and helped her to look for you. My name is Misuki." I introduced myself to her.

"You may call me Crystal. Thank you so much for looking after my little girl."

"It was nothing, ma'am. Good-bye Annabel." I waved to her.

"Bye bye, Misuki. Thank you for taking care of me!" Her cute smile almost brought me to tears. I watched them as they left.

"I'm glad that girl found her mother." Chip said, jumping onto my shoulders.

"Me too. I think I might cry." Dale snorted his nose and was balling harder than anyone I've ever seen.

"Come on you guys. We better get home." As I walked home, memories began flashing in my mind about my father and Diana, the elder of my village. She thought of me as her daughter, which reminded me how I was declared the princess of my village. It wasn't until the last minute that I realized we were already home and I was tucked into bed. My dream was all about my real mother. It was just me and her. She was holding me in her arms, singing a soft lullaby. It sounded familiar. It was the same one my father sang to me. How could I forget something as important as that?


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

It was in the middle of the afternoon, and I was in Ansem's office, studying some of his books so I could learn a little about the heart. But I wasn't sure why he was studying such an odd subject. He wasn't studying the heart for medical reasons; it was for another purpose. One I still do not understand. Most of the books in his library he wrote himself using research and theories he discovered on his own. I spent about three hours reading a few of his books.

An hour into my study session, I heard Chip and Dale scream my name. "Misuki, help us!" Their screams startled me. I put down the book I was reading and peeked out into the hallway.

"Chip, Dale where are you?" I went into the direction I heard the scream come from. "Guys I don't have time for games. I'm in the middle of my study session. So come out and quit playing around." As I kept walking, I felt a jolt run through my body that told me something was seriously wrong. When I felt that, I ran as quickly as I could. "Hang on Chip and Dale! I'm coming!" I ran into the main hall, where I found Chip and Dale trapped against the wall by Heartless. "You freaks again!" I summoned my keyblade to my hand. "I'll give you one chance to release my friends!"

"Such strong words coming from a little girl." The voice of a man surrounded the room and gave me chills down my spine. 'That voice.' I thought to myself. 'It sounds so familiar.' I turned around to see a man appear from the shadows. He had long silver hair and mocha-colored skin. He looked so familiar that I hesitated for a moment, and began backing away from him.

"Who are you?" I asked him. He smiled at me, and then glanced at my keyblade.

"What an unusual keyblade. It's giving you all of its energy." What was he talking about? And how does he know about my keyblade? As I stared at the man, trying to read him, Chip and Dale screamed, turning my attention back to them.

"Let my friends go! They have nothing to do with this!"

The man laughed as I pointed my keyblade straight at him. "You think so? I used them as bait so I could lure you here and witness the power of your keyblade for myself."

"Misuki, save us!" Dale screamed in terror.

"Hang on guys! Here I come!" I ran past the man, and fought the Heartless surrounding Chip and Dale. It only took ten minutes. "You guys okay?" I asked them. They jumped onto my shoulders, hugging my neck and crying. "We were so scared!" Chip sobbed.

"Don't worry, you're safe now." I put them back down and told them, "I want you guys to get away from here. Run as fast as you can." They were shocked at what I said.

"But Misuki…you can't fight this guy alone!" Chip said.

"Don't worry about me. Just get somewhere safe." I stood back up and faced the man again. I knew Chip and Dale were still there, so I stomped my foot and yelled at them. "Did I not make myself clear! I want you guys to get out of here now! Get going!" I didn't even look at them. I kept my eyes on the man. I finally heard Chip and Dale scurry off in a hurry.

The man laughed again. "What's so funny?" I exclaimed in anger.

"The amount of power you're giving off. You are concerned about your little friends, and yet have no concern for your own safety."

"Where I come from, I learned that you're friends and family are more important than your life. Do anything you can to protect them, even if it means you get killed in the process!"

"What nonsense. Who taught you that?" He laughed again. He started to get on my last nerves.

"How dare you call my father's teachings nonsense! You'll pay for that!" I charged at him, but in the blink of an eye he disappeared. I stopped in mid step, confused. 'Where'd he go?' I thought to myself. I stood there, trying to sense where he could be. Then out of nowhere, he appeared behind me and struck me in the back. The force of his attack made my body fly through the air and across the room. I hit the wall with great force before falling onto the hard floor. The pain was so immense that I couldn't move for a while.

"Tell me young one…what is your name?" He asked me, looking down at my bruised face.

I hesitated because it hurt to even speak. I even had a little trouble breathing, but finally was able to say my name. "M-Misuki. My name…is Misuki." I wheezed out my name, and then found myself coughing.

"Misuki is it?" He bent down, and looked at me closely. His yellow eyes were so gorgeous, that I couldn't look away. I know it's wrong for a thirteen year old girl to say that an older man was hot, but in all honesty he was. "Tell me, how did you acquire that keyblade you're holding?"

I watched him as he glared once again at my keyblade. How was I supposed to know that? I got scared, the Heartless attacked, I screamed, and then I passed out. When I woke up, boom. The keyblade was lying next to me. There wasn't any real detail in that situation. Besides, why was it any of his business? It's not like he can take it from me and use it…or could he? "Why…is that…any of your…business?" As I spoke, I did my best to at least get off my side and on my knees. I used the keyblade as a cane to help me. Once I was finally on my knees, but still in a lot of pain, the man lifted my chin and made me look right in his eyes.

"Because its power is important in my mission."

"And what is your mission?" I asked him. His answer made my heart skip a beat.

"I plan to open the door to light, and take control of Kingdom Hearts."

Kingdom Hearts? What kind of place is that? And more importantly, what was the Door to Light? After he answered me, he finally let go of my face and walked away from me. When he did, I pulled out a small bottle of special energy juice I made from some fruit and herbs that were similar to the ones on my island. I opened the cap and drank it. In one minute, I was able to get on my feet and stand up straight.

"Okay mister. I am through messing around! Whatever you plan to do with my keyblade and its power is not ever going to succeed, because there's no way I'm giving it to you! Now tell me who you are before I get angrier and decide to put you in the hospital permanently!"

Once again, he laughed at my threat. I was seriously becoming very annoyed and decided to just go on and attack him. When I got at least three feet in front of him, he held out his hand and released a flow of Darkness that blew me back to where I was. But this time the landing wasn't as bad and I wasn't in that much pain. "Since you're so eager to know my name, I will tell you. My name…is Ansem."

That name made my whole body quiver and made my heart beat faster and faster. "What did you…" Suddenly out of nowhere, King Mickey came from behind me with his keyblade out and ready to fight.

"Misuki, stand back! I'll handle him." He said.

"Your majesty…he…is he really Ansem?" I couldn't speak right because my body was still shaking. It wasn't long before I felt tears run down my face. Then I stood up and shouted, "You're lying! You're not Ansem the Wise! You're an imposter!"

"Misuki, you need to calm down. You're powers are triggered by your emotions. If you get too upset, you'll overload." The King did his best to try and calm me down. But it didn't work. I was still steaming mad.

"I don't care." I sobbed, clutching my keyblade tightly in my hand. "He's disgracing the name of the man who took me in; the man who cared for me and raised me as if I was his own daughter. I won't let his name be soiled by this…this monster!"

"Deny it all you want, my dear. But no matter how much you do, I am Ansem. The one you knew and admired is long gone."

"Ansem, stop tormenting her. You're saying these things so you can see her true power." King Mickey explained. "But in the end, you'll just make her destroy herself, and send her in the endless void of the Darkness." I felt the King's gentle hands hold my arm. My crying got heavier and heavier the more I thought about Ansem the Wise and this man who claims he was Ansem. They're two completely different people, there is no way this man could be him. The thought just made me madder and madder to the point where I started screaming at the top of my lungs. "I'm not going to take anymore of your lies! I'll destroy you myself if I have to! Whatever it takes to make the lies stop!" Everything around me became blurry, and it was hard to focus on anything. Even my thoughts were a little cloudy. The next thing I knew, the Ansem imposter was on the ground, clenching his chest. He looked at me with an impressed look on his face.

"That's the power I want. Release more, Misuki. Let your anger boil up and explode within you." That's when I realized he wanted me to beat him up like that. That was his plan the whole time.

I pointed my keyblade straight at his chest. "No one commands me. I do as I please." I told him, panting out of anger. I felt my heart burning with passion to silence him once and for all. "I'm going to give you one last chance to tell the truth. Tell me your name isn't Ansem, and that you stole his identity." He was quiet for a while, and just kept staring at my anger-filled eyes. I patiently waited to see what his choice would be. I felt tears beginning to form, but I did my best to fight them back.

At last he spoke. "You still don't understand." He said with a small smile on his face. "My name is Ansem. You cannot change a person's name, no matter how many times you threaten them. My name remains the same. Just as you were given the name 'Misuki' at birth, I was given the name Ansem. Nothing you do or say will ever change it."

"I see how it is. If you refuse to admit your lies, then I have no choice. I'll get rid of you myself!" I closed my eyes and swung my keyblade at Ansem. Just when I thought I had rid the world of an imposter, my keyblade stopped in mid swing. I opened my eyes to see King Mickey blocking my attack with his keyblade, protecting the Ansem imposter. "Your majesty…what are you doing?"

"Misuki, this isn't what the keyblade was made for. You can't use it for vengeance." He said.

"But I…" I felt tears run down my face again. This time, they were stronger than ever. "He took Ansem the Wise's name in vein! He's running around making everyone believe he is Ansem! How would you feel if you were in my shoes? Put yourself in my position and tell me what you would do!" I dropped on my knees and began sobbing. King Mickey came to my side and did his best to comfort me.

"If I was in your position, I would act the same way you are now. However, I wouldn't use all my power to destroy one person. You almost strained your body. You're at your limit."

"I don't care what happens to me." I cried. "As long as I clear Ansem's name, and make sure he was safe, I'd be happy."

"How touching." The Ansem imposter stood up and dusted himself off. "I'm afraid I must be going. I have enough information to generate my own power to open the Door to Light."

"What are you talking about?" King Mickey asked in shock.

"Her attacks damaged my body physically. These bruises she left have a little bit of her power in them. It is just enough to carry out my plans." He raised his hand out, and opened some kind of dark void. As he stepped inside, he looked back at me. "Misuki, you are a very worthy opponent. Fare well for now. And thank you for your power." He bowed to me, and disappeared into the void.

"I'm sorry, your majesty." I said to the King. "I didn't mean to lose my temper. Please forgive me."

"It's okay, Misuki. He provoked you, so you got angry." He smiled at me, then stared at the dark void the Ansem imposter left open. "I'm going to follow him. I have to stop him."

"Let me come with you, King Mickey." I said, drying my eyes and standing back up. "I want to help you fight him."

"No Misuki. It's too dangerous for you. I want you to stay here and regain your strength. You lost an incredible amount of energy during your fight, so I want you to go and rest."

I didn't argue with him because I didn't have the energy to. So I just nodded my head and did what he said.

"I'll have someone check on you in a while. In the meantime, stay out of danger, and keep practicing controlling your keyblade."

"Good luck, your majesty. Please stay safe." I said. He gave me a thumbs up, and went into the void. When he was in, it closed and vanished. I stood there, thinking of how I was lucky to have friends like King Mickey, Chip, Dale and of course Ansem the Wise; the real one.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Riku: Alright! I'm coming up! I have to go get ready. *runs to trailer*

Me: *facepalm* Okay...ahem. Reading this over, I realized I used too many commas. Going over this and realizing my mistakes just annoys me so much.

Riku: HEY! WHO TOOK MY HAIR GEL! My hair is losing its spike!

Me: Riku, did you look all over your trailer?

Riku: Yes! I can't find it anywhere!

Me: Just chill. Excuse us folks, we have to get Riku some more hair gel.

Axel: Pick up some for me!

Demyx: And me!

Saix: I would also like hair products.

Me: OKAY OKAY! Geez! We'll get on it. Anyway, please R&R.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

After everything that happened just now, I was exhausted and decided to call it a day and take a well-deserved nap. But instead of going to my room, I decided to lay in one of the trees in the garden. That seemed like it'd be really relaxing. Plus, being outside would help me clear my mind a little and calm my nerves. I fell asleep in about two minutes.

When I woke up four hours later, I went into the kitchen to get a glass of milk.

"How do you feel Misuki?" I heard Chip ask me as he jumped on top of the counter.

I took a sip of my milk, and answered "Great after that nap. I was asleep for four hours I think. I slept in a tree outside. I needed some fresh air, and boy was it soothing." I laughed and then took another sip of milk.

"That's good to hear. It looks like you've got all of your energy back." He said.

"Well, not all of it." I clenched my fist, and noticed I was still a little weak. "I only recovered about fifteen percent of it. I need a little more time to heal. Hopefully the Heartless will leave us alone for a while."

Chip and Dale looked at each other. Then Dale said "We don't have to worry about the Heartless attacking us anymore."

"Yeah, the King took care of that after he left." Chip said.

I looked at them in confusion. "What do you mean?" I asked as I sat my glass on the counter. Chip explained it to me as simple as possible. "The King set up a force field around the mansion after he went through the portal. It was with the help of his keyblade. So now the Heartless can't get in." The King has done a lot of things for me, and I've never been able to thank him.

"I wonder who the King will send to check on us. Do either of you guys know?" I looked at Chip and Dale.

"We have no idea." Chip said as he shrugged his shoulders. "We only know people that live inside the castle. But I can't think of anyone who's strong enough to fight off the Heartless except the King." Based on what Chip had explained, the King probably has other sources on the outside. Could they be one of the keyblade wielders as well? The only way to find out was to wait to see what happens next.

Five months went by, and the King's shield actually kept working. The Heartless haven't attacked at all; even when I leave to go shopping. Everything was absolutely perfect. Until a few days later. I had taken my bath and was in my room reading some books I had bought myself, using money I had earned doing a few part time jobs. The one I was reading was about a boy who got sucked into another dimension, and he had to save the princess from the trolls. I had just got to the part where he finds out that the princess was actually a girl in his class he had a major crush on. I couldn't put it down. As I was reading, I heard something break in the main hall. I went to check it out. Chip and Dale were asleep in my drawer with little blankets and pillows I made for them. I quietly opened the door, and peeked into the hallway. It looked safe, but I still had a feeling something was wrong.

"Anyone here?" I asked. There was no answer. I went down the stairs, and looked around a little more. There was nothing wrong, but I kept sensing danger of some sort. Maybe I was uneasy, and needed to stop reading so much and just get some sleep. I turned around and headed back to my room when I felt something sneak up from behind me. I turned around to find a Heartless. I screamed and jumped out of the way before it could attack. "How did you get in?" I called my keyblade to me and slashed it. It vanished, but more appeared around me. How did they get through the shield? It's still functional and has been for months. So why are these freaks getting in?

"Misuki, what's wrong?" I heard Dale's voice call from up the stairs. I looked up to see their surprised faces.

"Guys, stay up there!" I told them, fighting off as many of the Heartless as I could. "I'll take care of them. Get back in my room and hide!" Without a word, they scurried back into my room and shut the door. I summoned as much power as I could to fight off the Heartless, but it wasn't any good. They were still coming at me by the dozens. There was no stopping them. "Come on, give me a break! You guys are so annoying!" I tried slashing them off for the millionth time, but this time, they managed to stop my attack, and hit me directly in the stomach. I fell straight to the floor coughing and gagging. Before I knew it I was surrounded. "Someone help me!" I closed my eyes so I wouldn't see the attack that would kill me. But something was strange. I opened my eyes and the Heartless were gone. One million Heartless just vanished in seconds. I looked around to find a boy holding his hand out to help me.

"Are you okay?" He had silver spiky hair, and blue-green eyes that were clear and bright. I got lost in them and was completely mesmerized. "Hello? Are you alright?" This boy… I know him from somewhere. Those eyes…

His voice brought me back to reality, after losing myself in his gorgeous eyes. "Oh, uh, yeah, I'm okay. Thank you." I took his hand and lifted myself off the floor. "Who are you?" I asked him.

"The name's Riku. I thought the King told you about me."

"Wait…are you the one he sent to check on me?" I asked. I looked down and noticed his keyblade that sort of looked like a demon wing.

"That's me. Sorry it took me so long. I was stopped by Heartless along the way." He said, resting his keyblade on his shoulders. "The King told me who you are. It's uh…Misuki right?"

I nodded. "That's right." I wanted to say something else, but didn't know what. I was still looking in his beautiful eyes. Then I spoke without realizing it. "How did you take out those Heartless so easily?"

"It was really easy. When you travel all over to different places, Heartless just pour out from all sides. They surround you and do whatever it takes to attack you. Plus, those were only level one Heartless. There are much stronger ones out there."

There are stronger Heartless out there? I remember the King telling me the same exact thing before. He must be really strong if he took those down easily.

"So, I want to know something." He said.

"What is it?"

"Those marks on your face; what are they? Sorry, I've been sort of starring at them for a while and was curious." His smile was so innocent and warm. My heart melted at the sight of it.

"That's okay." I told him. "I'm from a native island far away from this town. I came here with my father after it was destroyed though."

"You're home was destroyed?" He was in shock. "I'm really sorry." He said.

"It's okay. Anyway, the marks on my face are a symbol of my growth as a warrior. I got them after I hunted for the first time and brought back a wild boar. I was only a year old, and took it down all by myself."

"Impressive." He said. "Were you scared at all?"

"A little, but I was taught to use my fear as a type of adrenaline. After I did, the rest was easy." I smiled and laughed. He seemed attracted to my charm and bravery. A cold chill ran through my body, and I was able to sense the Heartless. "More are coming." I said, going on the offensive.

"I sense it too. Are you sure you can handle them?" Riku asked me. I didn't know if he was worried I'd get hurt, or he was questioning my skill with the keyblade.

I just assumed he was worried about my safety. "Don't worry about me. With the two of us, I think we can get the job done quickly." Heartless formed around us in the blink of an eye. Without hesitation, I attacked the ones that were closest to me, slashing away without mercy. I wanted these creeps to leave me alone, so that's what kept me going. In ten minutes they were all defeated. The remaining few that were left retreated. "Ha-ha! That's right you losers! Run away like the chickens you are! You shouldn't have come here in the first place!" I turned to see Riku looking at me in a strange way.

"You're not bad." He said, not seeming to mind my outburst. "I was afraid you weren't going to be able to control your keyblade."

So he was questioning my keyblade skills. "I've been training with it for a while now." I said, holding it up proudly. "But I still feel there's more to this keyblade than meets the eye."

Riku walked up to me and placed his hand on my shoulders. "Don't worry, Misuki. I'm sure you'll find out the true power of your keyblade if you continue to work hard." His smile was comforting and reassuring. I let my keyblade disappear from my hand. Once I did, I felt my legs give out and I fell to the floor. After that...everything went dark.

I woke up to find myself in my bed. I looked over to see someone sitting next to me, but I couldn't make it out. My vision was still a little blurry. "Ansem the…Wise?" I mumbled under my breath.

"No it's Riku. Are you alright?" I felt a hand touch mine, and it was warm and soft. My vision became clear again and I saw Riku, Chip and Dale all stare at me in concern.

"Riku?" I sat up in the bed, feeling something cold and wet on my head. It took me a while to realize it was an ice pack, so I held it and pressed it against my head. "What happened?" I asked still in a slight daze.

"You fainted after we defeated the Heartless. Are you going to be okay?"

"I think so." I said unsurely, looking around the room. Everything seemed new and fresh.

"Here drink this." Riku handed me a tall glass of a strange colored liquid. It didn't look like orange juice. I looked at it with doubt.

"What's the matter? Do you not like apple juice?" he asked me.

"Apple…juice?" I questioned, sniffing the beverage.

"I don't think she's ever had apple juice before." Chip realized.

"That's right. No one ever introduced it to her before." Dale added.

"It's good, Misuki." Riku assured me. "It'll make you feel better. Plus it's sweet and delicious. Try it." I've only known him for a short while, but I felt like I could trust his word. I took a small sip and savored the taste. He was right! It was sweet and delicious. I took a long big gulp of it and let my taste buds tingle and dance in my mouth. "It is good!" I exclaimed. "Thanks Riku." I sat the glass down, and took the ice pack off my head.

"I used my keyblade to increase the barrier around the mansion." He said. "There shouldn't be any more problems with the Heartless."

I smiled at Riku. "Thanks for all your help Riku. I owe you big time." I told him.

"You don't have to." He assured me.

I shook my head. "No I do. Where I come from, we believe in returning favors. If someone helps us in any way, we repay them any way we can."

"Okay then." He laughed. "I'll let you repay me. If I ever need your help, I'll let you know." We smiled at each other and got lost in each other's eyes. Riku then looked from me to his pocket and pulled something out. He held out my hand, and placed the object in my hand. "I want you to take this." I looked at the object. "It's a crescent moon-shaped keychain. Whenever you get into trouble, it'll protect you."

"Riku I…I don't know what to say." My voice cracked and I felt myself beginning to cry.

"Don't say anything." He put his hand over the keychain, and held my hand tight. "Just promise you'll take good care of it and never lose it."

"I promise, Riku. I'll carry it with me wherever I go." Out of nowhere he reached over and hugged me tight. I didn't know why until I felt a tear run down my face. I felt like Riku was a sign from Ansem the Wise; a sign saying he was okay, and that I'd see him real soon.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

*sigh* This is probably one of my favorite chapters ^/^ When I first typed this, I believe it only took me 3-4 days because I was so dedicated to it. The entire story flowed through my mind. Ideas for every scene just came to me as I was working on each chapter.

Please R&R


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

Two years have passed since I first met Riku. Because of him and the keychain he gave me, I have fully mastered my keyblade. The day he left, I was scared that I wouldn't see him again, but I was just worried. Actually, he's been sending me tons of letters just to see how I was doing or to just say hi. We had a deep connection with each other that was hard to break. I asked him when he would come back for a visit, but I haven't gotten a respond from him yet. I did get to know him a little better. He lives on an island too; sort of. The island is near a town he lives in. The island is a place where he and his friends hang out. But his friends left a long time ago. I felt comfortable knowing that we were the same in so many ways.

"Is lunch ready yet, Misuki?" Dale asked me as he and Chip ran into the kitchen.

"Yeah we're starving!" Dale rubbed his stomach out of hunger. For small little chipmunks, they can sure pack it away.

"Hold on for one more minute guys." I told them, stirring the curry. "I have to insert one more special ingredient and let it sit. It'll be ready in exactly three minutes." I reached into the top cabinet and got a jar of my special herb powder to give the curry a little flavor. I sprinkled a little of it into the pot, stirred, and set the timer for three minutes. "Okay boys," I began explaining to Chip and Dale as I took off my apron. "When that timer goes off, then the food will be ready. But not before, understand?"

"Yes ma'am." Chip and Dale said saluting me.

"Good, now help me set the table. That should pass the time." I left the kitchen with some plates, spoons and cups. The chipmunk brothers followed me in excitement. They put the utensils in place as I set down the plates and cups. I then poured us some apple juice, and then went to check on the curry. Once I was in the kitchen, the timer went off. I could hear Chip and Dale yelling in excitement. I put on some mittens and brought the pot into the dining room, where I began serving the curry. Chip and Dale were mesmerized by the delicious smell of chicken and vegetables. I could barely control myself either. After I made sure everyone had some curry, I sat the pot in the middle of the table, and sat down. I sat in the same place I sat the first day I stayed here, when Ansem brought me breakfast. I could see him from that day sitting across from me and smiling. "Okay boys, dig in!"

"Hooray!" They literally dug their faces into the curry and chowed down. I really outdid myself on this dish. I learned it from a recipe book I read at the library. I was surprised I remembered all of the ingredients. It turned out great. I was lost in the amazing flavor and texture.

After we finished eating, and all of the dishes were put away, I went out to the garden to train a little bit. I just did basic push-ups, sit-ups and a few martial arts moves. Finally I sat in the center of the garden and began my meditation. My mind was absolutely blank, so I really couldn't say what I was thinking about. I allowed my body to relax and melt in the serenity. I slowed my breathing and listened to the voices of nature; the birds chirping, the slushing of the fountain and the trees and flowers rustling as the wind whispered in my ear. Everything was in serenity and I was one with all living things. I listened to the wind sing in my ear, until my body told me something was wrong. I quickly opened my eyes and tried to concentrate on everything that went on around me.

"Misuki, Misuki! Help!" I heard Chip and Dale yell as they ran out to the garden and into my lap. They acted like they've seen a ghost.

"Guys, what's going on?" I asked, gently petting them to calm them down.

"Something's inside the mansion! It almost got us!" Chip was talking so fast I could barely understand what he just said. I've never seen them so spooked before. At least not since that Ansem imposter and the Heartless.

"Guys, it's okay." I reassured them. "The Heartless can't penetrate the mansion. It's survived this long, so there's no way it could fail now."

"It's not the Heartless!" Dale said having a spasm attack.

"It's something a lot worse! White creatures and a stranger in a black coat! They snuck up behind us and almost got us! Luckily we managed to escape! But it's dangerous!"

It seems like we have more troubles than just the Heartless. But how could anyone get in the mansion with the barrier still up? And especially a person? The way Chip and Dale were still quivering, I had to check things out for myself. "Well let's just take a look around to see what's going on." When I stood up, Chip and Dale ran up my arms and onto my shoulders.

"Be careful, Misuki." Dale said. "Those creatures were scary."

"If I can handle Heartless, I can handle scary white creatures and a stranger." Or could I? Maybe I was about to bite off more than I could chew, but someone had to take care of this. And right now, I'm the only one who could.

"Hello? Anyone here?" I called out. I waited for a reply, but it was dead quiet. I checked out every room there was, but there was no one. "Are you sure you guys saw something?" I asked them.

"They were here, honest!" Chip exclaimed still freaking out. "You gotta believe us!"

I sighed. "Of course I believe you." I told them, patting his head. "But this place is completely empty. We're the only ones here." Out of nowhere, I felt a cold breeze pass behind me. I turned around to see something slithering down the hall and into Ansem's laboratory. "Okay, maybe you did see something, Chip. What was that?" I followed it into the lab to see three strange white creatures waiting for me. "These things are creepier than the Heartless." I summoned my keyblade to my hand and prepared to attack. "Chip, Dale hide somewhere quick. Don't come out until I say so."

"Whatever you say, Misuki!" They leaped off of my shoulder and hid behind the nearest desk they could find. Once they were safe, I attacked the white freaks. They were super flexible and fast, but not as fast as my keyblade. I took all three of them out in no time flat. "Okay, what were those things, and what is going on?"

"You have great skill with the keyblade. Yours is a strange and unusual looking one." A voice echoed around us. Was it the Ansem imposter? No. The voice was different.

"Don't go judging things that could whoop your butt!" I yelled back. "Come out or I'll force you out!"

"You show courage, but I sense the fear inside you. You're afraid of me and my army."

"Okay whoever you are, let's get one thing straight! I am not afraid of you or your stupid army. Plus, what do I have to be afraid of when you refuse to come out and face me like a man!" Whoever this person was, he's arrogant.

"You wish to see my face? Very well." A void appeared right in front of me. It was identical to the one the Ansem imposter disappeared into. But instead, a man with a hood over his face walked out. The dark void vanished behind him. Once it did, he took his hood off, and revealed his face. I was horrified at the gigantic 'X' scar that was in the middle of his face. He flipped his light blue hair from out of his hood and caught my eyes. He had a very frightening gaze. I tried not to show it, but my body shivered at the chills his gaze was giving me.

"What are you?"I asked him, hiding the hesitation in my voice.

"I am a being that has no business existing. My name is Saix."

"Hold on, I'm lost. If you're not supposed to exist, then why are you standing here in front of me?" I thought this guy was off his rocker or something. He was crazy.

"I am known as a Nobody; a being that isn't supposed to exist, but still does. We appear as normal people like you, but the only difference is…Nobodies do not have hearts. We are… incomplete."

Okay now I'm positive this guy was on something. Does he go around telling people he doesn't have a heart and is a Nobody? "Listen dude, I don't have time for games. So I suggest you get lost now. I have a lot of stuff to do right now, and I'm behind schedule." He stood there quiet, examining me from head to toe. Then his eyes focused directly to my keyblade.

"Where did you get that weapon?" he asked pointing to it.

"Jeez, why do you idiots always ask that! I was attacked by Heartless, screamed, passed out, and woke up with it lying next to me. So really, I don't know where it came from. It was just there when I came to. Satisfied?" My fear quickly turned into rage and frustration because this guy was asking the same questions as the Ansem imposter. "Is my keyblade that valuable to you? Or do you just like asking me the same questions over and over just to tick me off?"

"Interesting." He said, still looking at it. "There's a lot of power coming from it. The power then shifts to you." How does he know that? Something was wrong with this guy. Maybe I should stop underestimating him. He looks like he could break me like a toothpick. "Tell me, how many hearts have you gathered from the Heartless?" he asked after a long moment of silence. What did he mean by that? Collecting…hearts? "So, this whole time you've been fighting with a weapon you know nothing about? Maybe you're not the one we've been looking for."

"Good, then leave." I said, pointing my keyblade at him.

"It isn't that easy." He said. He snapped his fingers and summoned three Heartless. "I'll test you. Let's see if you really are the one we've been looking for."

"Okay, but bringing out the Heartless to test me; pretty stupid on your part mister." I went straight to the offensive, and attacked all three Heartless with only one swing. Saix still didn't seem surprised.

"You are the one. That was impressive." He said.

"Okay now tell me: What do you mean when you say 'how many hearts have I collected'? What do you mean by that?"

"There's a reason you're keyblade is more powerful than any other out there." He began as he circled around me. "That particular keyblade has the power to collect the hearts from the Heartless and store them for safety."

I looked down at my keyblade at amazement. "Wait, so the Heartless have hearts they stole from innocent people?"

"That's correct. They steal the hearts, because they wish to be complete. But they do not know the true power of a heart."

"Like you do, Mister I'm-a-Nobody-because-I-don't-have-a-heart?"

"If you don't believe me, I'll tell you how to capture the heart." With another snap of his fingers, another Heartless appeared. After it formed, Saix stood behind me and coached me through the procedure. "It's very simple. Once you defeat the Heartless, raise your hand to the creature before it vanishes, and the heart will come to you."

At first I thought this was all a hoax, and someone was playing a prank on me, but the energy he was giving off was so immense that I could barely concentrate my power. I gathered all the strength I could and attacked the Heartless. Once I did, I held my hand out and concentrated on extracting the heart. When I did, the heart flowed from the Heartless and into my hand. I felt the intense power that it held inside of it. I also could feel the emotions it had. They flowed around me as streams of color and rhythm. I felt its sorrow, anger, happiness…all the emotions of the human body. But out of all of them, love was the strongest.

"Very good. With this ability, you have the power to save many hearts from the Darkness the Heartless carry within them." Saix said as I stood up. "And you can use that ability to help us."

I turned around in shock. "Us who?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

"I am from a group known as Organization XIII. As I explained, I am a being with no heart, and who has no right to exist. I am just one of the many like me. I am ranked number VII in the group."

"And this involves me…how?" I asked, wondering why he was explaining this to me, and it didn't mean squat to me.

"I was sent to recruit you. You are our number XIII." Okay now he was delusional. Why would they want me in this Organization or whatever? I have a heart; I was meant to exist. I had to get out of here quickly. I couldn't wait for the king to rescue me, because I know it wouldn't be that easy for him to get to me. Riku was probably somewhere far away from me and wouldn't be able to get to me in time. I had to save myself…and Chip and Dale of course.

"Psst, Misuki." I heard Chip whisper in my ear. They had quietly snuck onto my shoulders. "We have to get out of here."

"I know that. I'm trying to think of a way to do it." I whispered back. "He could be expecting me to run. I have to create a diversion of some sort." At that point, I got an idea. I reached into my pocket slowly and pulled out a little tablet. It was a special escape gas that produced a green non-toxic smoke. This was perfect to make my escape. I clutched it in my fist tightly, ready to ignite it.

"Will you come peacefully, or will I have to take you by force?" His threat sent shivers down my spine. I had to get away right then.

"You can take me by force…if you can catch me!" I threw the tablet to the floor and let the smoke rise and thicken. Once it did, I made my quick escape. I flew out of the room and headed straight for the exit. It seemed like I'd be able to make it out with no problems, but just as I saw the door, those white creatures appeared in front of me and blocked the door. Now I was in trouble.

"Did you really think you could escape me that easily?" Saix appeared behind the army of creatures. "I wasn't giving you a choice." He reached his hand out to me. "If you come back with me, and join the Organization, we'll help you look for the man who took you in and cared for you."

He was talking about Ansem. But…how did he know about that? "How do you know Ansem the Wise?" I asked him, taking a step back. If I wasn't freaked out earlier, I am now.

"We know everything about you…Misuki." That was the first time he mentioned my name. But I never told him my name. "We know about your past; the island you were born on…and your father."

"Okay stop right there!" I yelled, tightening my grip on the keyblade ready to strike him for that last remark. "I'm not listening to anything else you say! There's no way you know about what happened to me and my father! So stop lying to me!"

"I'm one hundred percent honest. Everything I say is the truth."

I didn't want to believe him, but something inside of me was telling me he might be telling the truth. Maybe he knows where Ansem the Wise is, and what he's doing. Maybe they could help me convince him to come back. "Misuki, you can't really trust him can you?" Chip whispered in my ear.

I grinded my teeth in frustration. "I don't want to…but…he might know something about where Ansem is. I'm going to take my chances." I lowered my keyblade and let it vanish from my hand. When I did, Saix sent the white creatures away.

He stared at me for a while, and then approached me. "Misuki, will you join Organization XIII?" He asked again reaching his hand out.

I nodded, ignoring Chip and Dale as they jumped in shock. "I'll do it." I said in a low voice. "But first, I want to say good-bye to my friends."

"Very well." He agreed. "I'll give you five minutes." As he walked away to give me some privacy, I took Chip and Dale into my hands and explained everything to them. "Listen guys, I know you think I'm stupid for making this choice, but I have to see if I can find Ansem the Wise."

"But…Misuki…" Dale tried to say something, but he broke out into a sob.

Chip finished Dale's comment. "How do you know they'll really help you?"

"Like I said Chip, that's a risk I have to take." As I said that, I felt myself beginning to cry. "I'll be okay, I promise. Besides, you guys will be safe without me. The Heartless won't have a reason to come here. Just don't forget me." I hugged them tightly. I didn't want to let go, but it was time for me to go. I put them down, and walked over to Saix. Once I was next to him, he opened a portal. As I stepped in, I looked back at Chip and Dale and said, "You guys were the best friends I've ever had. I love you."

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Saix: Hello. I am number VII; Saix. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one shall be out in a few short days. In the meantime, I'd like to offer everyone reading this a chance to be part of the Organization. Although our name is Organization XIII, we are always looking for new members.

Me: Uhh Saix, what's going on?

Saix: Oh hello Misu-chan. I was just informing our audience about the Organization and what they have to gain by joining.

Me: I thought we talked about this. No using the 'Author's Note' section to recruit members for the Organization.

Saix: Xemnas said it would be good to have more supporters.

Me: Well right now, Xemnas isn't in charge. I am.

Saix: Xemnas is always in charge. No one orders him, nor takes his authority and...*acts like a puppy*

Me: *scratches Saix behind the ear* hehe always works. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember to R&R. Look forward to the next edition.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:**

I stepped out of the portal into a whole new world. It was dark and it had an eerie silence that made me feel like something was going to come out and kill me right there. I lost all that feeling once Saix began explaining things to me.

"This is known as 'The World that Never Was'. You could think of it as a reverse Twilight Town." I didn't know what Twilight Town was, but I never bothered to ask because I was still taking everything in that Saix had explained to me.

I looked around as he explained it to me. "So like you, this place isn't meant to exist?" I asked.

"Yes, this is a nonexistent world."

"And, where is this Organization XIII? I thought they'd be here to greet me."

"They are. Our fortress is there. It is known as Castle Oblivion." I looked out to see a giant white castle in the center of everything. It looked like it had a billion rooms or something. I was amazed at the size. As I admired it, Saix continued. "Before you enter, you must wear the appropriate attire." He turned to me and snapped his fingers. Instantly, I was lifted in the air and felt my clothes changing shape. It was a weird sensation, and I didn't like it. Once it was over I found myself wearing the same black coat as Saix. Maybe it was a uniform. "This symbolizes you as a member. It will also allow you to travel through the Realm of Darkness. Now follow me, and I will present you to the others." I followed him without saying a word. I began thinking to myself, 'Maybe I made the wrong choice.' But it was too late to turn back now. I'm doing this for Ansem. I was so deep in thought that I didn't realize I was standing in the middle of a circular room with tall chairs. That's when I saw a bunch of eyes focused on me. They stared at me so intensely, that I was afraid to even flinch. I looked around to see who they were. They must've been the other members of Organization XIII. But the one that caught my full attention was the man in the tallest chair. By his vibes, I could tell he was the leader. He had long silver hair and looked at me with great value. I couldn't escape his gaze. I was being pulled to him. Strangely, he had the same vibes as the Ansem imposter. But unlike the Ansem imposter, this man was slightly more dangerous and threatening.

Finally, he spoke to me. "What is your name, my dear?" he asked me.

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fact that this guy was totally creeping me out and made my blood run cold. After trying to regain my composure, I was able to speak my name. "M-Misuki." I hesitated, keeping my eyes glued to his. I couldn't look away. I couldn't explain it, but he was forcing my gaze onto him.

"Well Misuki, welcome to the Organization." He greeted. "You may call me Xemnas. I am leader of Organization XIII; number I: The Superior. With your help, our goal will be realized, and our wish granted."

"Just curious, what is your wish?" I asked.

"First, you must be given a new name. You will be cleansed of all your painful memories." He opened a portal next to me and told me to walk through it. I came out of the portal into another part of the castle. Xemnas appeared a few seconds after me. "I shall grant you your new name." He held out his hand to me, and made my name appear in front of me. As I stared at it, the words began circling around me faster and faster. When they stopped, a new name was in front of me.

"Umixe." I whispered.

"That is right; it is the new you. You are now an official member of Organization XIII." For some reason, I couldn't say anything. I didn't know if it was shock or fright, but my lips wouldn't move. The next thing I knew I was in another room. It had a couch and a large window that oversaw everything in the castle. Outside, I saw a giant heart in the sky. There was something about it that made me stare at it.

"Welcome to the Organization. The name's Axel, got it memorized?" I turned my attention to this tall skinny man with spiky red hair and small eyebrows. Underneath his eyes, were two upside down triangle marks. He smiled at me and introduced himself as Axel. I stared at him for a short while, and then turned my attention back to the giant heart outside the window.

"No sense talking to her, Axel. She's just been initiated, and probably can't form a single sentence." Someone spoke. I looked in the refection to see a blonde guy approach us.

"Well we have to say something to her. Otherwise she'll be like this the whole time." Axel told him.

"Heart." I pointed to the giant heart outside the window, not really knowing what I was doing or what was going on.

Axel noticed I spoke and saw me pointing to the heart in the sky. "That's Kingdom Hearts. That's what's going to make all of us whole." I didn't respond to him. I put my finger down and just continued staring at Kingdom Hearts. I remember Saix telling me about it, but not really explaining it. It seemed no one was thoroughly explaining Kingdom Hearts to me. How was it going to grant them a heart?

"I see you're all giving Umixe a friendly welcome." A voice echoed. I turned around to see another man come through a dark void, but he had long pink hair. He approached us and smiled at me. "I see she's still in a bit of shock." He said. He took my hand, bowed to me and kissed my hand. I stared into his eyes that were filled with respect for me. "I'm known as Marluxia. I am number XI, so we are not far apart in the rank." I just stared at him, not even attempting to take my hand back.

"Mar…lu…xia?" I sounded out his name slowly. As I stared at him, I felt a disturbing sensation that was all too familiar to me. "Heartless are near." I whispered. I snatched my hand away from Marluxia and ran out of the room. I stood still looking for the Heartless. Four of them appeared out of nowhere and surrounded me. I summoned my keyblade and attacked without hesitation.

"Hey, Umixe what are you doing?" Axel asked me walking up to me with Marluxia behind him.

"Heartless have been eliminated." My sentences were short and to the point. I couldn't see straight at all. What was going on with me? I bent down in front of the Heartless I just fought and extracted the hearts from them and let them evaporate into me. Because I was in bad shape, I couldn't feel the emotions of the hearts. Once the hearts were extracted from the Heartless, they de-materialized right in front of me.

"Letting her go off and fight when she can barely form a complete sentence. How irresponsible." In front of me appeared an older man with blonde hair and a stuck up expression. He seemed really familiar to me, but I didn't know where from. He walked up to Axel and Marluxia, and lectured them from the look of it. "The Superior told you to keep a close eye on her."

"I am doing just that." Marluxia informed him, placing his hand on my shoulder. "She's perfectly safe with me, Vexen. You're just upset because Xemnas won't let you experiment on her."

"I could find better test subjects than her." He said as he examined my body. "How do you know if she really is the one we need?"

"Did you not see how she extracted the hearts? And look at her keyblade."

"Maybe we should test her strength." Vexen suggested.

"That's not a bad idea." Marluxia looked at me and asked, "Umixe, how would you feel demonstrating your abilities for us one more time?" I looked at him, confused and out of it. All I got out of it was I was going to be used as a lab rat and they wanted to see my power. I nodded, agreeing with it.

"Then it's settled." Vexen said. "All we need now is someone for her to fight."

"I'll do it." We all looked over to see Axel volunteering to fight me. "I kind of want to see what she's capable of. What better way than to experience it first hand and up close."

"Very well. Let the battle begin." Marluxia announced.

I faced Axel as we prepared to fight. I watched as his hands began flaming. When the flames cleared, Axel had two disk-like weapons with spikes at the end of them. "These weapons are called Chakrams. Got it memorized?" He repeated that same phrase to me. I didn't pay much attention to the things he was saying to me. All I focused on was the battle. "Fair warning: I'm not going to hold anything back." He said.

I clenched my keyblade in my hands, and attacked without warning. Axel blocked my attack with his chakrams and then shot them at me. I got hit directly, and was burned by the flames that surrounded them. The force pushed me back, but I managed to land on my feet perfectly. He launched the chakrams again at me, only this time I was able to block his attack with my keyblade, and send it back to him. The whole time we were fighting, Axel was smiling and laughing. Was he sure he was going to win? Or was he actually enjoying himself? Either way, it started to make me mad. I focused my energy and let go of my keyblade, letting it levitate around me.

"How is she doing that?" I heard Vexen ask. With the wave of my hand, I commanded my keyblade to launch an attack on Axel. It flew straight to him, knocking his weapons out of his hands and throwing him to the ground. I walked over to him and stared at the look of surprise on his face. As I did, I waved my hand to make my keyblade disappear. Then I helped Axel up off the floor. When he was back on his feet, he began laughing. "I've never fought that hard before. You're the real deal alright." His laughing made me smile slightly. "Guess you're not a total mindless zombie."

"I want to know how she managed to control her keyblade like that." Vexen walked up to us with Marluxia following behind him.

"She controlled it with her heart. It connected with her emotions, allowing her to become one with the keyblade and use it with no hands; just her emotions."

"I've trained hard to learn that technique." I said, finally getting control over my words and actions. "It took me only a few hours to finally get it right."

"I must say I'm impressed, Umixe." Marluxia said.

"Well I'm not entirely convinced." I looked over to see Vexen's smug, uptight look. He still doubted me.

I walked up to him, about to find out what his problem was. "What do I have to prove that everything I do is real?" I asked him.

He didn't answer me. All he did was stare at me for a while. His stare became intimidating to me, and I ran off. I didn't know where I was going to go, but I had to get away from all the tension Vexen was giving me. I stopped and took a deep breath. 'Calm down, Umixe.' I thought to myself. 'You just have to find a way to prove him wrong. Show them you are strong and you can do anything.'

"By the look on your face, I can tell you just met Vexen's attitude and major ego." My thoughts were interrupted by a woman with short blonde hair and two long strands sticking up and going over her head. I liked the way she had her hair, but felt that she was very ruthless and was able to get anything she wanted. She approached me and introduced herself to me. "The name's Larxene. I'm number XII."

She was only one rank higher than me. "I'm number XIII: Umixe."

"I can tell you and I will be very good friends." She put her arm around me and began teaching me the ways of Organization XIII. "Don't be intimidated by Vexen. He thinks just because he's the scientist around here he's the only one who's the most important, next to the Superior."

We walked and talked for what seemed like an hour or so. The more Larxene talked about Vexen, the more I began hating him. The way she was describing him and his full personality, I wanted to shut him up for good. She definitely felt the same way.

We were still talking when Axel walked up to us. "I hate to interrupt girl time, but we have a mission and Xemnas wants Umixe to come along."

Larxene stood up and looked at him. "Whatever you say." She turned to me. "Umixe, looks like you've just been given a chance to prove yourself to Vexen. Good luck; you'll need it."

"Come on Umixe. We need to go now." Axel told me. I got up and followed him. He opened a portal, and walked through it with me close behind.

We came to a strange town that was peaceful and full of happy people. The shops were small, and there was a train that ran all over the town. "What is this place?" I asked Axel.

"This is known as Twilight Town." He answered. "We were sent here to keep an eye out for some Heartless that were spotted in this area."

I looked around and used my hunting instincts to locate the Heartless. After a minute, I got something. "I found them." I said. I pointed northwest toward some small shops. "They're over there, running a rampage."

"Then let's get this over with." Axel rushed into the action. He had too much energy in him. Or maybe I didn't have enough. I followed close behind him and began fighting them off one by one. We made a pretty good team and got the job done quickly. The only thing that made me upset was that I was only able to save three of the hearts the Heartless have taken. The others floated up to the sky and vanished. I didn't know where they went, and something inside me told me I was better off not knowing. "Hey Umixe, follow me." Axel went through the portal, looking at me the whole time. Where was he taking me? I decided to follow him and be surprised.

We came to the top of a building that looked like the top of a clock tower. I followed Axel to the ledge where he took a seat on the edge. "Axel where are we?" I asked a little afraid.

He looked at me with a smile. "We're on top of the Twilight Town clock tower." He gestured me to come and sit beside him and watch the sunset. "I like to come here and have a little quiet time to myself sometimes." I sat next to him and just stared at all the people doing their own thing and having fun with each other. I watched them with envy, wanting to be in their position instead of where I was now. Axel looked at my expression and saw I was somewhat upset." Hey, you okay? You look a little down."

I really didn't know what to say about how I felt. I couldn't express them in words. "I don't know how I feel." I finally said. "All of my emotions are jumbled together."

He chuckled. "That's what happens when you first join. It'll pass soon. Trust me." For some reason his smile was comforting to me. I couldn't explain it, but he reminded me of someone. "Here, this is for you." He handed me a sea-salt ice cream. I took it and stared at it for a while.

"Thank you," was all I could say. I took a few licks of the ice cream and let the flavor sit in my mouth. We sat in silence watching the sunset. It was so beautiful, that I wanted it to last forever. "The sunset is so beautiful." I said.

"I guess it is." Axel responded. "Hey Umixe, mind if I ask you something?"

I turned to him and told him, "Of course. Ask me anything."

He took a long time to ask me. Maybe he was trying to find out how to phrase it properly. "Besides Saix almost threatening you, why did you decide to join the Organization?"

"Why do you want to know that?" I asked, biting off a piece of my ice cream.

"Because you have a heart. So in reality, you have no business joining us. But you did. Why?"

"Well, Saix said my abilities would help finish Kingdom Hearts. But my personal reason; I'm looking for someone. He disappeared a long time ago, so I thought being in the Organization would help me find him."

Axel chuckled. "Not to be mean, but that's stupid."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked him, staring at him with a grimace look.

"I'm just saying it's not going to do you any good to look for someone while you're in the Organization. You might just be wasting your time."

His comment got me upset to the point where I threw my ice cream at him. I stood up to walk away. Before I did, I turned to him and said, "You think you might know me, but you have no idea what my life has been like. I don't need some lazy jerk face to tell me what decisions to make and whether or not they'll succeed. So just leave me alone!" I opened my own portal and returned to the castle.

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><p>Author's Note:<p>

Sorry for taking so long updating chapters. I'm on vacation right now and I've been uber lazy ^^ Also, in case anyone is confused about Misuki's alternate name "Umixe", the 'X' is pronounced the same way it is in Marluxia's name. It's a 'shh' sound. Just thought I'd put that in there.

Please R&R


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen:**

When I got back to the castle, I walked around a little, trying to think of places I can start looking for Ansem the Wise. Maybe that Xemnas guy knew something. It wouldn't hurt to ask him…but then again, I could be asking the wrong person. How did I know he would tell me the honest truth? I guess that was another risk worth taking. But I didn't know where he was. In my search for him, I found a man with light blue hair, sitting by himself reading a strange book. He had bangs that covered half of his face.

"Umm, excuse me." I approached him and waited for him to look at me. When he did, he examined me for a while.

"You're Umixe, right? The new recruit?" he asked me, closing his book.

"Yes that's me." I answered.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Zexion: number XI in the Organization. Did you need something?"

"Oh, yes...I was wondering where Xemnas was. I sort of need to talk to him about something important."

He looked at me for a long time. Finally he spoke. "All you have to do is follow Kingdom Hearts." He pointed to Kingdom Hearts in the sky that seemed so close to where we were. "Xemnas is at the Altar of Naught. That's where he spends most of his time. So there's a good chance he'll be there." He lowered his hand from the sky and opened a void. "This portal will take you right to him."

"Thank you so much." I bowed to him and entered the portal. He seemed so familiar to me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Before I knew it, I was standing a few feet away from Xemnas. He was looking at Kingdom Hearts with envy and hope.

"Umixe, good to see you. How are you enjoying your time here in the Organization?" He talked as if he was expecting me. Maybe he was expecting me.

I slowly approached him, afraid to ask my question. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Of course, what would you like to know?" he asked, placing his hand on my shoulders.

His touch made me shiver slightly. He was ice cold like he's been dead for centuries. I made my body relax before I could finally ask my question. "I was wondering if you knew anything about a man named Ansem the Wise." I saw something inside him jolt at the sound of the name. I knew he knew something about Ansem. All I had to do was hope he gave me a truthful answer.

"You wish to know about Ansem the Wise? Why?" he asked.

"Well, he took care of me when I was alone. He saved me from the streets and raised me as his own daughter. But then he disappeared and I've been looking for him ever since. I thought maybe you'd know where he is."

He looked at me with pity. "So you wish to find him and bring him back safely. Is that correct?"

I nodded my head and smiled. "I'm afraid I do not know where he could be." My smile faded when he said that.

"Really? You have absolutely no clue where he could be?" I asked him, hoping something would spark in him again.

"I'm sorry my dear." He said, petting my head. "I have no information on Ansem's whereabouts."

"Okay, thanks anyway." With no lead, I left the Altar of Naught. Now I was back to where I was before. Ansem had to be somewhere, but I didn't know where to start looking. Now what was I going to do?

"Hey, Umixe!" I looked up to see Demyx walking up to me. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Some of the members want to meet you and see your abilities. Come on." He grabbed me by the hand and dragged me to the lounge. I didn't resist because I had nothing else to do. But he was treating me like I was some kind of circus attraction. "Here she is." I stood in front of a group of people I haven't met yet. Having them all look at me made me feel uncomfortable. I wanted to grow a shell and hide from their glaring eyes.

"So she's the one we need to complete Kingdom Hearts?" There was a man who had a blonde goatee and pierced ears. I thought he was kind of cute, but his stare was what drew me away from him.

"That's Luxord. He's number X." Demyx said, pointing at Luxord. "Next to him is number III, Xaldin. After him is number II, Xigbar. Last but not least is Lexaeus. He's number V."

"You're a special little one." Xigbar blurted out of nowhere. I walked closer to him and examined him thoroughly. "What's up? Something on my face?" he asked me.

I backed away from him and thought for a minute. "You look very familiar to me. "And so do you two." I pointed at Xaldin and Lexaeus. "I swear I've seen the three of you somewhere. But I can't remember."

"Don't strain your brain thinking about it." Xigbar said. "You probably just had a déjà vu moment. It happens to everyone. Just ignore it." Maybe he was right, but the feeling wouldn't go away. I felt the same way when I met Zexion. He looked familiar too, but I don't know from where.

"Tell us about your powers." I heard Xaldin say. "Are the rumors of your abilities true?"

I turned to Xaldin and nodded my head. "That depends on which abilities you're talking about." I responded.

"Your ability to control your keyblade using the power of your emotions."

I laughed. "Oh yeah, that's true. I demonstrated that on Axel not too long ago. I won of course." I summoned my keyblade, but this time, I was able to summon it and control it with my heart. So when it appeared to me, it was levitating next to me. They all looked with astonishment. They all seemed to be impressed with my powers.

"Let's see how quick your reflexes are." Xaldin summoned a long spear that looked like a shark head. It was floating by his side like my keyblade was doing, but I could tell he was using a different technique. "I control the power of wind. I am able to manipulate it and make it do whatever I command it to." With that explanation, the spear shot straight at me with great speed. I didn't panic nor flinch. I just told my heart to stop the attack. My keyblade quickly responded to my thoughts and blocked Xaldin's spear in mid attack. The spear hit the keyblade and fell straight to the ground where it disappeared.

"Does that prove my abilities?" I smiled at him, secretly mocking him inside my head.

"You're able to think quickly on your feet. A good quality in an Organization member." He acknowledged. I kept smiling in accomplishment and pride.

"The time will come for more tests soon." Out of nowhere comes Saix, walking up to me. "You have another mission to complete. Xaldin, you're to accompany her. Marluxia is waiting for you." Xaldin nodded his head and took me away. We met up with Marluxia to get more information about our mission.

"Heartless have been spotted outside of Twilight Town." Marluxia explained. "We have to move immediately." We rushed through the vortex and came into Twilight Town. All seemed peaceful to me. It was a small place with markets and old buildings. It was just as beautiful as Radient Garden. As I took in the scenery, I began to sense the Heartless nearby.

"They're that way!" I exclaimed running toward the direction of what looked like a train station. When we got there, the Heartless were surrounding an old man and his grandchild. "We've got to do something!" I told them. Xaldin and Marluxia just stood there, watching and waiting. "Hey, why aren't you guys doing something about this? Those people are in trouble!"

"They're not our concern." Xaldin said, watching the event like it was a movie and he was upset because he didn't have any popcorn.

"What do you mean it's not our concern! Our mission is to fight the Heartless right? So we should be fighting them!"

"We're waiting for the Heartless to take the hearts of that old man and the child. That will turn them both into a Heartless, giving us more hearts to collect." Maruxia said it with a smile that creeped me out more than ever. They were really going to just sit there and watch the old man and the child get attacked. Well I wasn't going to sit around. I jumped straight in the action.

"Go and hide. Both of you!" I told them. The little boy stared at me like I was some kind of comic book super hero. "I said get out of here! Hurry!"

"Hurry, Charlie!" The old man told the boy, picking him up and running as fast as he could.

"Okay, who wants to go first?" I questioned, ready for an attack at anytime. One Heartless on the far right of me jumped up and prepared to attack. I countered it and whacked him in the stomach. Once he began evaporating I called the heart to me, and it flew into my keyblade. After that one, taking down the rest of the Heartless was easy. I took back all of the hearts, and watched as they evaporated into nothing.

"Thanks so much for saving us." The old man said, shaking my hand.

"It was nothing. I'm just glad you're both okay."

"Say thank you, Charlie." He gestured his grandson to thank me for saving him. His eyes glowed with envy.

"That was totally awesome! You were like a super hero!" His excitement made me laugh along with him. He reminded me of myself at his age.

"No problem, Charlie." I said giving him a thumbs up. "I have to go now. Make sure you stay out of danger."

"I will! Thanks again!" He waved at me as I returned to Marluxia and Xaldin who didn't look happy at all.

"You had no business interfering like that." Xaldin said with a scalding look.

"I'm sorry if I disobeyed orders, but I wasn't about to sit back and watch those two get attacked. Their hearts belong to them and only them. Besides, I thought Heartless only went after the people who had darkness inside of them."

"Once a Heartless forms from the darkness of a person's heart, they'll collect more hearts. It becomes a need for them." Marluxia wasn't making any sense to me at all. Nothing was making sense to me here.

Instead of thinking about it, I just decided to let it go. What's done is done. "Whatever, let's just go back." I said opening a portal back to Castle Oblivion. I didn't speak to anyone once we got back. There was no point in it. I was just going to hear more lies and stupid reasons for their actions. I stayed silent that entire day.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hello again. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wish to apologize again for taking so long with updating this chapter. I'm on vacation and the lazy bug bit me ^^; Not much else to say. Except please R&R.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:**

I've spent three months and four weeks in the Organization, and so far I haven't gotten a single clue to where Ansem the Wise might be. The amount of time I've been here, something strange has been happening to me. I can't explain it, but all my bad memories seemed to have just disappeared over night. It was like I had no reason to be sad at all; no reason to cry, even though I wanted to.

"Misuki…" There was a voice echoing in my head. I looked around to see who it could be, but I was all alone. "Misuki…" Why was this voice calling me a name I've never heard before?

"Who's there?" I called out. I turned behind me to see a portal open out of thin air. But there was no one around.

As I stared into the void, the voice spoke again. "Go through the Darkness. I'll be waiting for you." Whoever was inside my head was on the other side of this portal. I went through, anxious to find out whoever was calling to me; or rather this Misuki person. I walked through the portal to find myself on an island. On the island was what looked like a clubhouse. It had a beautiful view of the horizon. I sat on a crooked palm tree, just staring at it with nothing to think about. "Beautiful isn't it?" I jumped at the sound of someone's voice. I turned around to see a man with a black cloth tied around his eyes. I was wondering if he could see. He chuckled. "Don't tell me you forgot me already. It's me: Riku."

"Riku?" I couldn't believe it was really Riku. He looked so different. I walked closer to him. "Is it really you?" I asked.

"Of course it's me. Do you know any other Riku's?" He joked, looking at me. He gently stroked my cheek with his finger. His touch was so soft. It made me feel like I was floating on a cloud. "You haven't changed a bit, Misuki."

I moved his hand away from me. "It seems you forgot me." I said, disappointingly.

"What are you talking about?" He asked with a confused look on his face.

"My name." I said. "You forgot my name. It's not Misuki. It's Umixe."

"Umixe?" he questioned. He looked at me like I had lost my mind or something. He just sighed, smiled at me and admitted, "I'm sorry, Umixe. I didn't mean to forget your name." He took my hand apologetically. "Forgive me?"  
>I was only pretending to be mad at him.<p>

"I suppose I can." I said, smiling at him. After joking around with each other for a while, we sat down together and watched the ocean flow around us. My fingers were twined with his, and my head rested on his strong shoulders. This was like a dream to me, only it was really happening. "Riku, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Why do you have that thing around your eyes?" I pointed to the cloth around his eyes. "You have amazing eyes, so why are you hiding them?" I reached to try and take it off, but Riku stopped my hand in front of his face.

He looked at me with pain. I felt it in this body movement. His hand was shivering. "It's complicated." He answered, still holding on to my hand and pressing it against his chest. "For your safety, I have to keep it on."

"Okay, I understand." I said, feeling his heart beat faster and faster. It wasn't long before I realized his heart beat and mine were in sync.

"Now it's my turn to ask you something." He said. "Why are you wearing this outfit?"

Oh boy, how was I going to explain this one? I sucked in a deep breath and answered as best as I could. "I joined a group called Organization XIII." When I said that, Riku's expression changed in an instant from loving to shocked and concerned. "I joined to find Ansem. But so far I've had no luck."

"Misu…I mean Umixe, why would you join Organization XIII? They're a bad group, who's only using you."

"Like I said, to look for Ansem. I figured he might be somewhere in their world." I saw the worry in his face. "What's wrong, Riku? Are you mad at me?"

He sighed. "No I'm not mad at you. I'm just worried about your safety. I don't want anything to happen to you." He took me in his arms and held me tightly against him. He let go of me after a minute or two. "We can't stay here. They'll find out where you are."

"They don't even know I left." I told him.

"Regardless, they'll find out and track you down." Riku raised his hand out and opened a Darkness void. "You have to go back right now."

I held on to his arm, not wanting to let go. "But, Riku…"

He kissed my forehead and told me, "Don't worry. I promise we'll meet here again. Just wait until I call you. Promise?"

"I promise." I finally was able to let go of Riku and enter the Darkness. Before I completely entered I turned and called Riku back. "Hey, Riku!" When he was facing me, I reached into my pocket and held up the good luck charm he gave me. "I still have the good luck charm you gave me! I'll never let it go!"

"I'm glad!" He replied back. "Be careful in there!"

"I will!" With those last words, I went back to the castle. When I returned, Axel was waiting for me.

"And where were you?" he asked, glaring at me.

"None of your business, you jerk." I smirked, walking right past him.

He jumped in front of me, stopping me in an abrupt halt. "Is that right?" he asked, smirking.

"Yes that's right. You're not my guardian."I pushed him out of my way and kept walking. But of course, he was still following me.

"You're not going to even talk to me?" He asked. "I'm hurt."

"How can you be if you don't have a heart?"

I looked at him to see there was something he wanted to say to me. "You got me there." He chuckled. "But on a serious note, I want to apologize to you about what I said a few weeks ago."

"What do you mean?" Was he actually apologizing to me? Maybe he wasn't so bad.

He walked a little closer to me. "Well, that whole thing about you joining the Organization because you were looking for someone, and how I said it was a waste of time. I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't judge you if I don't know you." As I listened to him speech his apology, I began thinking maybe he did have a heart after all. It took a lot of guts to say sorry to me, even when I hated him in the beginning. "So…do you forgive me?" He held his hand out, waiting for me to shake it and call a truce.

I thought about it for a few seconds. I wasn't sure if he really meant what he said, or if he was saying it so I'd gain his trust for the Organization. But when I looked deep in his eyes, I saw that he meant every word he said. "Fine, I forgive you." I smiled and shook his hand. "You must have a heart inside you after all." I said, poking his chest.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Because it takes a lot of guts and heart to admit your own faults to someone after you've hurt their feelings. Although, I wish you had apologized a little earlier. Then maybe I wouldn't have given you the cold shoulder this whole time." I laughed at him as he looked at me with guilty eyes. I thought the way he looked at me like a lost puppy wanting a home was kind of cute. There was no doubt in my mind that Axel was definitely different than the other members. "I have to go check in with Marluxia. If I don't I'll get yelled at." I told him.

"Then I guess I'll see you around." He said, smiling and waving good-bye.

"Definitely. See you later!"

When I finally arrived to meet Marluxia, Vexen was there with him. It looked like they were talking about something intense, because Vexen looked really mad and looked like he was about to punch Marluxia straight in the face. Marluxia continued to remained calm, even though Vexen was threatening him. "Umm…Marluxia?" I finally said, slowly approaching them.

They both turned their attention to me. "Umixe, right on time." Marluxia said as he walked up to me and petted my head.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, looking at Vexen. He glared at me, acting like nothing happened when I came into the room.

I looked back at Marluxia as he told me, "Everything is just fine. We were just discussing your training for today."

"My training?" What was he talking about?

"Yes, your training." Vexen interrupted. "Marluxia believes that if you are able to collect hearts with your keyblade, then you may have the ability to hear their thoughts as well." Talking to hearts? That would be pretty awesome in my opinion. But of course, by the tone of his voice, Vexen didn't seem very confident that I could talk to them. Well, I was ready to prove him wrong once again.

"We'll start with something small." Marluxia walked up to a big crystal ball that was placed in the middle of the room. "We'll begin with a small child somewhere." He waved his hand over it and made an image appear inside of it. I slowly approached the orb and saw the image of a little girl who looked at least three or four years old. She was asleep in her little bed. "Try reading her heart."

"But how do I do that?" I asked. He could give me a hint or something of where to start.

"You just have to concentrate as hard as you can. Try connecting your heart to hers." I thought he was completely nuts, but I didn't want to hear Vexen gloat about how he was right, and that I couldn't do it, so I closed my eyes and focused my energy on the little girl. A jolt of electricity flowed through my body and made me flinch slightly. When I opened my eyes I was in another world. It was just white. In front of me was the little girl in the crystal ball.

"You're that girl that appeared in the crystal ball." I said, blinking my eyes to make sure I wasn't dreaming. It all seemed real.

"My name is Luna." Once she said her name, she began to cry. The empty void we were in began changing colors all around us. They were shades of blue and purple. "I'm the thoughts and feelings of Luna. I'm her heart."

"You're the heart of Luna?" I couldn't believe it. I was communicating to her heart. "That explains this space we're in, and why everything began changing colors."

"They change colors based on her emotions. Right now Luna is sad."

"Can you tell me why?" I asked. If I brought back this information, then that would prove to Vexen I can talk to hearts.

"It's her father." She said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Luna's father is very sick, and could die any day now. She dreams about him every night, and it makes her cry."

When she told me that story, it made me think about my father; the look on his face just before he passed away. That was one image I'd never forget. "Well, Luna I think you and I are exactly alike." I got down to her height and smiled while drying her eyes. "I lost my father when I was about your age."

"You did? What did you do to make the pain go away?" she asked me.

"It's simple: just remember them the way things were. Remember your father laughing and smiling with you in the past. Being sad all the time isn't a good way to remember him." I hugged her tightly in my arms. "Think of the happiest memory you have of your father and you'll be laughing everyday of your life."

"Did that work for you?"

"Of course it did. And when I did cry, I just replaced the sad memory with a happy memory. Or I'd surround myself with friends." She finally showed me a smile. I had helped this young girl find her way to pure happiness. "I have to go now. Remember to always smile." I told her.

"I will. Thank you, miss!" As she waved at me, the space turned a bright pink and red. It wasn't long before it was filled with all kinds of toys and images of her father. The next thing I knew, I was back in the room with Marluxia and Vexen. It felt like I was there for hours but it's only been a few seconds. I looked into the crystal ball to see Luna slowly smile in her sleep and her tears fade away. "What did you learn?" Marluxia asked me.

I couldn't take my eyes off Luna. She was having a very sweet dream. One about her father no doubt. "She was sad about her father. But thanks to me, I think she'll be okay." I smiled at the image as it faded away.

"I believe I was right about her powers." Marluxia said, looking at Vexen. "Do you have anything to say, Vexen?" I looked at Vexen to see him scowling at Marluxia.

"I suppose I have to admit I was wrong this once." He said walking away. "We'll put her powers to the true test soon enough." He was such a downer. I decided to follow him, to ask him what his problem was with me. Maybe I could clear the air around us. If we were on the same team, we might as well try to get along. When I finally caught up to him, I came to a strange place that looked like the basement of the castle. I followed Vexen to a big door. Once he entered through the doors, I put my ear to them to try and listen in on what was going on in there. I couldn't make out the conversation, but there were two other voices. I didn't care if I got in trouble. I wanted to confront Vexen there and now! "Vexen, we need to talk!" I barged in, marching straight up to Vexen who looked at me with a surprised look.

"What do you think you're doing down here?" He asked me, getting in my face. "How dare you eavesdrop on us!"

"I don't care about that!" I exclaimed. "I want to know what your problem is with me. Why do you think I'm useless to the Organization?" I looked over to see Zexion and Lexaeus stare at me. I stared back for a minute, and then turned my attention back to Vexen.

"Why do you doubt her abilities, Vexen?" Zexion said. "Everyone else approves of her, and as the Superior said, she is valuable to us, so it's only appropriate that we treat her as such." I was glad to see I had some backup. It was two against one.

"You want to know why?" he asked, backing away from me, feeling intimidated by the fact that Zexion was on my side. It was also because Lexaeus was probably rooting for me too. Either way, I had him cornered. "To be honest, I only see you as a puppet; a pawn to be used until you have served your purpose and is disposed of quickly."

His words hurt me. He only sees me as an object to use until the time comes when he gets to destroy me. Was that how the others saw me? I couldn't say anything else after that. I just left crying my eyes out. I sat on the stairwell, staring at Kingdom Hearts looking for answers. But I didn't get any.

* * *

><p>Riku:*crashes into set* SOMEONE HELP GET THIS THING OFF ME! IT'S IN A KNOT! *crash*<p>

Vexen: You made me drop my tea!

Me: Riku, hold still! Wait! You're headed for the trailers!

Riku: *crashes into the side of Larxene's trailer and passes out*

Larxene: What's going on out here! I'm trying to do my make-up!

Me: Sorry, Riku's having trouble with his cloth. Umm, could someone carry him to the infirmary again? *takes off cloth from over his eyes* Okay everyone, let's clean this mess up before the next scene!

Please R&R


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen:**

Was what Vexen said true? Is the Organization just using me? Are they planning to get rid of me for good after they're done with me? A million questions raced through my head. If they were using me, then maybe joining wasn't such a good idea. Maybe Axel was right after all. "Why the long face?" Axel came up behind me and stood next to where I was sitting.

I did my best not to cry in front of him. I didn't want him to see me cry. It would be so humiliating. "Am I just a pawn to you?" I asked him in plain simple words. He looked at me with confusion. "Answer me Axel! Am I just an object for the Organization to use until they don't need me anymore?"

"Hold on for a minute." He said, trying to process this in his head. "Where is all this coming from?"

"Well, Vexen told me I was just a pawn. A toy for you guys to manipulate until I'm useless to you and you get rid of me permanently. Is that true?" I looked deep into his eyes to find his answer, but he was hiding it.

He placed a hand over mine and smiled at me. "I can't speak for everyone, but to me…you're very important to the Organization."

"Really?" I asked happy to hear those words come from him.

"Of course. Vexen just says those things because you're not a good test subject for him to use for one of his experiments. If it wasn't based on that, he'd see that you were powerful and every bit as important as any other member here."

"Thanks Axel. I knew I could count on you to make me feel better." I stared into his eyes until a voice in my head echoed through my ears. It was Riku. He wanted me to meet him on that island. I had to think of an excuse to get away from Axel. "I'm going to walk around for a while."I told him. "I need some exercise to make myself feel a little better."

"Whatever makes you feel better." He said. As I walked away, he stopped me. "I almost forgot to tell you, Xemnas wants us to meet for an emergency meeting."

"Okay, I'll be there." I ran until Axel was out of sight completely. Once the coast was clear, I stepped through a portal to see Riku. He was waiting for me at the same place we met before. I ran right into his arm and hugged him tightly. "I missed you, Riku." I said after I finally let go of him.

"I missed you too." He said smiling at me. "There's something important I need to talk to you about." He led me to the palm tree we sat on last time. His face looked really serious, which made me concerned about what he wanted to talk about. "Okay, I need you to leave the Organization."

"What do you mean? I can't leave." I told him.

"Umixe listen to me." He grasped my hands in his and held them tightly. "They're not a good group to be around. They mess with your head, and make you think the world is against you, so you'll have no one else to turn to except them."  
>What he told me made me think about what Axel had just told me a few minutes ago. I trusted Axel and still did, but I never questioned Riku and what he knew. I wanted to believe him but I couldn't just go and leave the Organization. It wouldn't be easy. I pulled away from him and looked at him. "Riku, I can't just leave them. Besides...I need to find Ansem, and being in their world will help me. He might be there."<p>

"Their manipulating you as we speak." He told me, slightly raising his voice. At that point, I turned away from him not wanting to look at him. "They even made you forget your true name."

"Umixe is my true name." I said softly, staring into the sunset. I couldn't believe what Riku was saying. Part of me wanted to believe him, but then another part was telling me to just walk away from him forever but I didn't want to do that. I'd miss him too much. "It's the name I was given by my mother and father."

"No it's not. Your real name is Misuki! Misuki! That's your name!" When he shouted that name, there was a powerful force that pushed me back and made me collapse. Riku lunged over to catch me before I hit the ground. I quickly regained consciousness, feeling a heavy pulse in my head. "Are you okay?" he asked, holding me close so I wouldn't fall over. I nodded because I couldn't speak at that time. I was able to release myself from Riku's grasp and sit up on my own. "What happened to you?"

Gasping for breath, I found I was able to speak again. "I…don't know. I just felt pressure go through my body, and I became heavy as steel." I found myself grasping my head and still feeling it pulsate harder and harder. "I think I should go back. I need to rest my head." As I got up to leave, I felt Riku's hand wrap around my wrist.

"Umixe, wait a minute." I looked at him. "Please, stay here with me. I can help you find Ansem. I'll protect you from the Organization. Just…stay with me."

I let him pull me in and hold me again. Whenever I was in his arms, I wanted to stay there for all eternity. This was my dream come to life. However, I was bound to the Organization. "I'm sorry, Riku." I whispered, pushing out of his grasp and opening a path to the castle. "My place is with the Organization. This is my destiny." With those words, I left the island…and Riku.

I returned to the castle lounge and laid down on the couch, still grasping my head. It wouldn't stop pounding no matter what. I tried to not scream in pain, but I wanted to so much. "You don't look so good." I looked up to see Xigbar looking down at me. "Something wrong?"

"My head is pounding and it won't stop." I said in a weak voice. Everything around me was beginning to spin all around me, which made the pain even worse. "I don't know how it started."

"Maybe Vexen can help. He is a scientist; at least he claims to be." Xigbar said laughing at his own joke. I would've laughed too if I was up to it.

"No way." I said, shaking my head. "I'll accept help from anyone but Vexen."

Xigbar thought for a minute. "Okay, how about Saix? Maybe he'll know what to do."

"Where is he?" I asked.

"He might be with Xemnas. Hang on, I'll go get him." He disappeared into the Darkness to find Saix. I couldn't stand it anymore. My head felt like someone was hitting me with a baseball bat made of iron spikes. I only hoped Xigbar would find Saix quickly and he'd be able to help me. I shut my eyes for a while to try and focus on something besides the pain. I began seeing am image of my father telling me a legend from my village. It was the legend of the three Goddesses who founded our island and gave birth to it. They made the trees and plants grow in a single day. My father told me that my ancestors were grown from the soil and love of the Goddesses. He said my mother used to be a petunia, and I was a rose. My father says he was a tall tree. I saw all of us as those plants, but always wondered why I was a rose. My father told me I was a rose because I was beautiful and sweet while at the same time, I was strong and fierce. The scent of roses filled the air and I was tranquil and calm. I saw myself dancing in a rose garden with my father and Riku. We were all dancing and having a wonderful time. "Umixe." I heard my father call to me. I ran to him, but he kept moving backwards. I ran and ran, but he kept getting farther and farther away. "Umixe, wake up."

I opened my eyes to find myself back in the castle lounge, surrounded by shadows. As my vision became clearer, I realized the shadows were Xigbar, Axel and Saix. "What's going on?"

"I got Saix like you told me." Xigbar explained. "But when we got here, you were asleep."

"I found this and thought it would help." Saix held up a small vile that had a label on it. He handed it to me so I could take a closer look at it.

"Hey, this is my Herbal Pain Release medicine." It was something I made two weeks after Ansem took me in. I made it to get rid of any kind of pain whether it was cuts, bruises or in my case, painful headaches and migraines. "Where'd you get this?" I asked.

"It was thanks to me. I snooped around Hollow Bastion and found it in front of an old water fountain." Axel explained. "I recognized it, and knew it belonged to you and decided to bring it back." I slowly sat up and noticed that I wasn't dizzy anymore and everything was clear and vivid after I drank the medicine. I threw that vile away because I tried to use it to heal a cut I got from my training, but it only made it worse.

"It's time for the meeting." Saix said, walking away toward the conference room. We all followed him, anxious to find out what this meeting was going to be about.

Once everyone was gathered, Xemnas began the meeting. "I'm glad to see everyone has attended to this important meeting. I have called you all here to address a threat upon our castle."

"What kind of threat?" Vexen asked, looking curious. I looked at him with disgust.

Xemnas continued on. "It seems some intruders have infiltrated the castle. They plan to destroy Kingdom Hearts and ruin out plans." Intruders? So someone is trying to get rid of the Organization? But who would do that?

"Do we know anything about the intruders, besides the fact that they're dangerous?" Xaldin asked.

"I sensed them a few minutes before this meeting." Zexion said, placing his hand over his nose. It seemed he had a strong sense of smell and knew who was in the castle. "One smells of pure Darkness. But the other is still a mystery. I can't make them out, but his scent is definitely in the air."

"What should we do, Xemnas?" Saix asked. It seemed they were all riled up about getting rid of these intruders. I focused my senses on these intruders to try and see if they were anyone I might know. I finally got their trail but it was a new sensation to me. I didn't recognize either of them.

"First, we need to find out exactly where they are in the castle. Marluxia, take Umixe to the third floor and keep her there. They might go after her first."

Was I supposed to just sit back and let them do the fighting? Not in a million years. "With all due respect Xemnas, I think I could help you fight off these intruders. Isn't that why I'm here?"

"Your powers will attract them, and put them on guard." He explained. "We need to strike them while their defenseless."

"Then you should at least know where they are." I said. They all looked at me, intrigued that I was ahead of the game. "One of them just left the castle, but the one that Zexion said smells of pure Darkness is lurking around in the lower levels. He's exploring the castle floors one by one."

"You have done well, Umixe." Xemnas said. "Now go with Marluxia and stay safe. We'll stop him before he gets too far." I followed Marluxia to the same room with the crystal ball in the center. I just stared deeply into it, pondering in my own thoughts. This whole experience was overwhelming to me, and I couldn't take it for much longer.

"Are you worried?" he asked me. I turned around at the sound of his voice.

"No, that's not it." I admitted. "It's just…all this is so frustrating to me. I can't seem to figure you guys out at all. I can't read you; your intensions."

Marluxia stared at me. He placed his hand on my shoulder, stopping my heartbeat for less than a second. His hand was so cold and numb. "It will all become very clear soon enough." He told me. "You just need to be patient, and leave everything to us."

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Just in case anyone is confused on which castle they're in, of course it's the one from the second game. When I wrote this, I got the castle from KH re:COM and the one from KH 2 mixed up. But for the sake of this fanfic, the castle does have similar rooms to that of Castle Oblivion from Chain of Memories. As much as I've played KH and studied it, you think I'd know which castle is which ^^;

Anyway, please R&R. Thanks ^^


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen:**

Being patient wasn't easy for me in this particular situation. But normally, I'd be calm and wait for things to reveal themselves. This wasn't one of those moments. A few minutes later, Axel came into the room to explain the situation to us.

"Axel, what's going on?" Marluxia asked, walking up to Axel.

"That intruder is strong. Xaldin, Demyx and I barely made it out alive."

"That's because you're all a bunch of weaklings!" Larxene joined our little group, keeping her eyes focused on me the whole time. When she was in close range to me, she shifted her gaze to Axel. "Especially Demyx. He was holding back the entire fight. And you were the first one to retreat, Axel. Before anyone gave the order!"

"Once I saw what he was capable of, my work was done." He confessed. "My job was to get a small glimpse of his abilities and I saw enough. So, I got out of there as quickly as I could." He was calm the whole time while I was still a nervous wreck. "Hey Umixe." Axel's voice made me come out of my deep thought. "Can you sense the intruder's power? Like how strong he is?"

I concentrated on his presence and tried to analyze his strength. "He does have a substantial amount of power within him, but I can't tell exactly how much."

"Well with that information, I guess we should send our toughest member: Saix." I agreed with Larxene. Saix could definitely take on this guy.

"He won't do it." Marluxia said. "He's busy doing something else at the moment."

"Then send me." I stepped in and volunteered to fight the intruder off myself. They all looked at me with doubt. Except for Axel.

"You can't be serious, Umixe." Larxene said, crossing her arms and glaring at me. "What makes you so sure you're strong enough to take this guy on?"

"Even though I don't know exactly how powerful he is, I know that it comes close to my level of power. You have to let me do this." The room went quiet as they all thought it over in their heads. I know Axel had my back one hundred percent. Now I had to wait on what the others had to say about this.

Finally Axel stood up with me. "I'll go with her to make sure nothing happens to her. I say give her a chance."

I looked as Marluxia nodded in agreement. I looked back over at Larxene. "Why not. This'll be an excellent way to see your true power." With everyone finally giving me a chance, and Axel coming with me, I left to face the intruder. I wasn't going to fail knowing they were going to be watching me.

Axel and I landed in the place where I sensed the intruder. There was still a portion of his energy still lurking around. It got stronger in one particular direction. "He's not far. We've got to catch him fast!" I ran straight to where I was picking up his energy. Zexion wasn't kidding about this guy being pure Darkness. It was shocking to me because the energy that lurked flowed around me and made me feel somewhat dizzy. Finally we caught up to him just as he was about to enter the next floor up. "Stop right there!" My voice brought the intruder to a complete halt. He slowly turned around and faced me. He was wearing an Organization XIII coat with his hood pulled over his face, trying to blend in. "Disguising yourself as an Organization member? Clever…but not clever enough. Now you have to go through me!" I summoned my keyblade to my side and attacked him. I used my heart and emotions to levitate my keyblade and attack him on command. He hesitated for a while, but quickly got back on his feet. I had him on the run for a while until he managed to counter me at the last minute and knock me down. My keyblade fell right by my side.

He stood over top of me and was about to slash me until Axel stepped in and blocked his attack in mid air. The intruder jumped back in retreat and went from offense to defense. "You want to get her; you'll have to get through me!" From that point on, Axel took over the fight and had him on the run. I didn't want him to get hurt, so I immediately go back into the action and fought alongside Axel. Together, we were unstoppable! He dodged Axel's aerial attack, but I was right there ready to attack him. Once he was in reach, I launched myself at him and knocked him down on the ground.

Now I was the one looking down at him. "Looks like the shoes on the other foot." I said, holding my keyblade an inch away from his neck. "Now tell me what you're doing here! How did you manage to enter the realm of Darkness?" He wouldn't say anything. He kept silent the whole time, just looking at me. Afraid he might ambush me, I jumped back a few feet. Once I was far enough away, he slowly got up and put his hands in the air, signaling his surrender. I lowered my keyblade and just stared at him. If I could see his face, I'd be able to tell his expression. I couldn't even read his heart. That's what puzzled me the most. He resides in the Darkness, and yet he had a heart. But it was an enigma to me. I slowly approached him to try and get a better look at his face. But when I got closer to him, he disappeared into the Darkness. He played me which made me angry. "Hey, come back here you coward! Can't handle another beating from a girl? You jerk!" I yelled at the air around me. My echo carried all around the room while Axel remained silent and un-phased by this. I tried to sense him to see where he was, but his aura had completely vanished. He left the castle. "I can't believe he bailed like that! The nerve of him."

"You need to calm down, Umixe." Axel placed a hand on my shoulder to try and calm me down. "He's gone now and there's nothing we can do about it except wait for the next time he comes back." I took a deep breath and let what Axel said sink into me. He was right. Whatever his goal was, he didn't reach it. So there was a good chance he'd return for round two. When that day came, I'd be prepared.

"You're right. Axel." I said, taking another deep breath in and out. "Let's go report this to Marluxia." We went through a portal and returned to Marluxia and Larxene.

"You've returned. Did you catch him?" Marluxia asked.

"We did. We beat him up pretty good but then he retreated." I reported the entire incident. "At least for now we were able to stop him from achieving his goal."

"At least you managed to give him a run for his money." Larxene said, patting me on the back. "Nice job, Umixe. You might be Organization XIII material after all."

"You should report to Xemnas right away." Marluxia said. "He'll want to know every detail of the fight."

"Okay, I'll do that now." I nodded. "Come on, Axel. You were part of this too so you should get credit too." I grabbed Axel's hand and pulled him with me to see Xemnas. When we arrived, Xemnas was talking to Xaldin. I didn't want to interrupt them so I waited for them to finish their conversation. They talked for a long fifteen minutes before Xemnas finally realized Axel and I were standing there.

"Umixe, Axel what can I do for you?" he said, turning his attention to us. Xaldin looked over as well.

"We found the intruder and chased him off." I said. He was happy about that I could tell. "But I have a feeling he might be back soon to accomplish his goal." He didn't seem worried by that.

"That is very good news." He said, taking a hold of my hands. "You have done well, Umixe."

"Thank you. But what do we do if he shows up again? We're not prepared for it."

"You don't need to worry about that." He told me. "Zexion will alert us, and I'll send someone else to deal with him. You go and rest." He let go of my hands, dismissing me.

"I'll do that." I said, waving bye to Axel and taking off. Before I left the room, I heard Saix tell Axel, "Axel, I need to have a word with you." I looked over my shoulder and watched the two of them disappear in the Darkness. Once they were gone, I left to meet Riku. I never asked him why we met on that island, so I kept telling myself that I was going to ask him. When we met again, he had brought a little picnic basket with him that had all of my favorite foods. We sat in the sand enjoying each other's company. That's when my question popped into my head. "Riku, I kept forgetting to ask you this, but why do we always meet on this island? What's special about it?"

I let him swallow the strawberry he was eating before answering my question. "I guess it's my fault for not telling you in the beginning. This island is my home."

"This is where you live?" I asked in amazement.

"Yeah. See that town over there?" I looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a bunch of houses. "That's where my home is. This island is a place where me and my friends come and hang out with each other. It's our special place to get away from things that upset us."

"That's really great." I said.

"But no one comes here that often anymore because they're all busy with their own things. Sometimes I wonder if they even remember this island at all." I leaned against him to comfort him.

"You'll always have me." I said softly, making him laugh. "And besides, even if they don't come here, they'll still have all the fun memories they had here."

He pulled me closer to him. "You're right. I don't think anyone could ever forget this island. It's too perfect." We stared into each other's eyes and saw our future. Nothing was going to ruin this perfect moment...or so I thought.

"So this is where you disappear to, Umixe." We looked to see Axel standing on the bridge that connected the part of the island we were on, to the main island. Riku got in front of me to protect me.

"Axel!" I exclaimed.

"You know him?" Riku asked me, summoning his keyblade.

"Yeah he's one of the Organization XIII members." How did he find out I was here? He never figured it out before.

"Saix had a feeling you'd be here."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, even though I already figured out the answer.

"He knew you've been coming here and meeting with Riku. He found out probably the second time you slipped out. I believe that was about a week after our first talk and you hated me? Yeah that sounds about right." I began trembling at the sight of Axel. I wondered how Saix found out. Maybe he followed me to the island without me knowing. "Well your times up, Umixe. You need to return to the castle with me."

"She's not going anywhere!" Riku exclaimed, clenching his keyblade in hand. His aura rose to the roof. I've never seen him so fired up and angry. "No one is going to take her away from me! You'll hurt her and lie to her!"

Axel chuckled. "If we wanted to hurt her, don't you think we would've done it by now?"

"It doesn't matter!" Riku became enraged at Axel's words. He launched himself and attacked Axel, but he countered with his chakrams. Riku jumped back towards me. He rushed Axel again, but this time Riku was able to push him back.

"You're stronger than I thought you were." Axel said smiling during the whole battle. He used all his strength to force Riku off of him. "But I'm barely breaking a sweat!" Axel moved swiftly around Riku and attacked him from behind.

"Axel, stop!" I could only watch helplessly at the fight. My body was trembling and I could barely move. I wanted to go and help him, but something prevented me from even moving my fingers.

"You're not…going to…take advantage of her!" Riku was able to get back up and keep up with Axel's stealth. As Riku charged, Axel began spinning his chakrams in his hands. As they spun faster and faster, they began combusting into flames. Riku was finished if he didn't get out of there.

"This ends now." Axel flung his chakrams, hitting Riku directly. The force of the flames made him fly and land on his back a few feet behind me. I ducked out of the way just in time and then looked back at Riku's almost lifeless body.

"Riku! Are you okay?" I was finally able to move and run to his side. But suddenly, I felt a stinging pain run through my body. I turned around to see Axel right behind me. He became blurry and everything quickly turned white. It wasn't long before I felt absolutely nothing.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

This was one of my favorite scenes to type. I just couldn't stop ^^

Please R&R


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter Nineteen:**

"That idiot's going to pay for what he said to me!"

"Calm down, Umixe." Axel grabbed a hold of my arm to stop me from hitting the wall again. "What happened down there?"

I snatched my hand away from Axel, not even wanting to repeat his words. He spoke of me and my father as if he knew us. One thing was for sure: next time I see him, he's history!

"Umixe!" Axel's voice made me come back from my flashback. "Aren't you going to tell us what went on?"

"I don't even want to mention it." I told him, clenching my fists harder and harder. "Saix came in and took over. He's down there now."

"Typical." I heard Vexen say under his voice.

I turned around and walked up to him. "What did you just say?"

"It's obvious he saw that your powers were weak."

"You don't know anything about me!" I exclaimed, clenching my fists even harder, trying not to call my keyblade to my hand. "I'm sick of you belittling me! You're just afraid that I might be stronger than you!" I saw his body react to my insult. He tried not to look intimidated, but I could see a small hint of it.

Vexen chuckled. "Is that what you think? Then how about we prove your words?"

"Fine by me." I said, releasing my grip slowly. "I'll show you what I'm really made of."

"Stop." I looked over to see Marluxia walk in between me and Vexen. "This battle will not happen." He was addressing this to Vexen. It was his job to defend and protect me. That's exactly what he was doing.

"Out of my way, Marluxia!" Vexen exclaimed, waving his hand at him. "This doesn't concern you at all!"

"If it involves Umixe, then it is my concern." He said. I kept my eyes on Vexen, waiting to see what he'd do.

"If you refuse to move, then I'll move you myself!" In his hand appeared a shield that had icicles on the top. Marluxia didn't even try to move or defend himself in any way. He aimed it like a gun and fired ice shards. Seeing that Marluxia wasn't going to move, I summoned my keyblade, and commanded it to block the shards. I ran next to Marluxia, and commanded my keyblade from there. When the shards came into contact with the keyblade, I ordered it to deflect the shards back to Vexen. It swung itself like a baseball bat and hit the shards with great force, sending them right back to Vexen. He had no time to react, and was struck directly. The shards forced him back and slammed him on the ground. The key then returned to my side, levitating in the air. We all watched as Vexen struggled to get back up.

Marluxia patted me on the back and said, "Well done. Your reflexes are truly astounding."

I looked at him and smiled. "Thanks." He returned his attention back to Vexen as he was getting to his knees.

"Vexen, you do know that your actions are traitorous?" He informed him. "Because of that, I could choose to end your existence." What did he mean by that? That's new to me. But it seemed to have a huge effect on Vexen. Once he was on his feet again, he trembled at Marluxia. "However, because you did no harm to anyone, I will show you mercy. But this will be your only warning. Next time…you won't be so lucky." Marluxia's threat even made me tremble in fear. I slowly backed away from him, and went to Axel's side. He could tell I was afraid, and worried.

It wasn't long before Vexen regained his composure and put on a smile as if nothing happened. "Very well then. I'll take on the intruder and show you what true strength is."

"You can't take on the intruder!" I exclaimed to Vexen.

Vexen scowled at me. "You had your chance and you failed!"

His ego was too big for his head. "That's not what I meant! Neither of the intruders are in the castle!"

They all looked to me for more information. But I was sure that Zexion knew this too. "Where are they then?" Axel asked me.

"I don't know. Their presences have completely disappeared from the castle and this world entirely. It faded about ten minutes ago." These intruders have to be stealthy to escape Castle Oblivion without anyone noticing until the last minute. "There's nothing else we can do."

Vexen scoffed at me. "Do you think that'll stop me? Unlike you, I'm not afraid of these fools. Stay here and coward behind Marluxia as always while I go and show them what true power is." He turned his back, and went off to find the intruders. He really was an idiot like Larxene said. Not saying another word, I sat back down in the chair in the corner and pondered over who could be the intruders. The one that smelled of pure Darkness also seemed somewhat familiar. His aura was covered in Darkness, but it was also comforting; like burying yourself in a bed with sheets made of pure Egyptian cotton. That feeling of absolute comfort and safety, but I didn't know why it felt this way.

"You shouldn't give this situation that much thought." I looked up at Axel. He saw that I was struggling with questions and tried to draw my attention away from them. "If you're afraid, I'll stay with you and protect you." His words made me feel better, but the questions were still floating around in my head.

I stood up and walked toward the door. "Where do you think you're going?" Marluxia's voice brought me to an abrupt halt.

"I want to look at Kingdom Hearts. I need to be alone for a while." I left the room, making sure no one followed me. I sat on the edge of a pillar and let myself get lost in Kingdom Hearts and its luminous glow. It was the only light source in this realm. "Kingdom Hearts, there are so many questions I need answered. Please help me." As I said that, something shocked inside of me. At first I couldn't breathe, but then everything faded around me. Soon I found myself in another empty void, all alone. Suddenly, I felt the ground collapse underneath me, and I soon began to fall into the void. Normally I'd scream and panic, but I was calm as I began feeling myself floating and landing softly on the ground. Now I was on a platform as bright as the sun. But the corners were black and covered in purple aura. "What's going on? What is this place?"

"This is your heart." A voice from above answered me. I looked around and waited for someone to appear in front of me. But no one showed up.

"Who are you?" I asked. I was actually afraid of the answer, but was still curious.

"I am the voice of your heart." The voice…of my heart? This was the first time I wanted to be dragged away.

"Okay, if you're the voice of my heart, then what am I doing here?"

"You were called here. The voice of Kingdom Hearts summoned you."

That was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. I don't have any connection with Kingdom Hearts, because I barely understand it. All I did know was the Organization practically worshipped it. "How does it call to me if I have no ties to it?"

"You do have ties to Kingdom Hearts. Why else would it have sent you here?" He had a point, but I still wasn't convinced. "If you do not believe me, join your aura with Kingdom Hearts and speak with it."

"Speak with it? Is that even possible?" This whole experience was really confusing.

"You are the Heart Reader after all. You can't deny that." He was right. For as long as I can remember, I've been able to read the emotions of others. I was able to enter their hearts and feel their emotions. I gave it a try. I closed my eyes and let all other thoughts fade away. Soon, I felt my aura and the aura of Kingdom Hearts mix together and become one. Its energy was incredible. The power it had within itself made me shiver for a minute, but then it felt relaxing. I could hear its thoughts and feelings. "This is…Kingdom Hearts." I murmured. "It's…crying. Its thoughts come from the millions of hearts within it. They all want to be set free." Once I understood its emotions, I felt its aura disappear. "Is Kingdom Hearts depending on me to release it?"

"Yes, for you are the only one who can. But your heart is tainted with Darkness." I looked at the dark aura that took over the edge of the platform I was standing on; the edges of my heart.

"It's because I've become one with the Darkness. It's where I belong."

A jolt of lightning shocked me and made me open my eyes. I found myself back in Castle Oblivion, staring at Kingdom Hearts. Was all that just a dream? Or was I just in a hypnotic state, actually communicating with Kingdom Hearts? This whole experience was overwhelming. "So…you do have a voice." I continued staring at it until I felt a hand touch my back. I jumped and turned around to see Lexaeus standing there. "What's your problem!" I exclaimed, grabbing a hold of my chest. "You could've given me a heart attack!" That was probably the wrong thing to say to him, considering he was a Nobody and didn't have a heart, but it didn't look like he cared at all.

"What are you doing here?" he asked me. "You shouldn't be out in the open like this."

I pulled myself together and told him the same thing I told everyone else here: "I can take care of myself. I don't need a babysitter."He had the same angry expression on his face as always. Nothing seemed to faze him at all. He walked away, saying absolutely nothing. "Hey, you're not going to nag on me about how there are intruders running around?"

"It's not my concern." He said, stopping abruptly. "It's your choice to do what you want." He continued to walk away. Now I know why they call him the Silent Hero. Besides sneaking up on people and scaring them half to death. Once he was gone, I took one more look at Kingdom Hearts and then decided to take a little walk of my own. As I walked through the halls of Castle Oblivion, I realized that there wasn't a single thought in my head. All my thoughts just vanished into thin air.

"You say you belong to the Darkness. But is that really true?" I turned around quickly to see the man in the red bandages staring at me with a blank expression.

Before I knew it, my keyblade was right by my side. "You again." I growled. "I'm sick of seeing you around here! So why don't you just take a hike before you really get hurt."

The man chuckled. "It's amazing to see how your fear fuels you."

"Fear? You think I'm afraid of you?" I laughed loudly, making sure he could hear it. "That's hilarious! There's no way I'd ever be afraid of the likes of you!"

"Is that so? Then prove you're not afraid. Attack me!" Did he think I was bluffing? He was openly mocking me, so sure I'd turn the other way and run.

"If you say so. But just remember that you asked for it." I got into offensive mode, preparing to attack. Then something occurred to me. "Hang on a minute. I never got your name."

"Why would that be important?" he asked.

"Because…I'd like to know the identity of the person I'm going to destroy."

He chuckled and told me his name. "If you're anxious to know, I am known as DiZ."

'What kind of name is that?' I asked myself. It didn't matter anyway because he was about to die. "Fine DiZ, prepare to be destroyed!" I launched my keyblade at him. I made sure it was aimed directly at his heart, but he put up a shield that deflected my keyblade and shot it right past me. My body froze at the fact that he barely moved. He was sure he was going to be safe.

"Was that surprising to you?" he asked, seeing my shocked face. When he addressed it, I put it out of my mind and quickly retrieved my keyblade.

I looked at DiZ, frustrated. "It was only surprising that you were confident that you would be okay!" I grasped my keyblade and charged at him directly. "Let's see if you can dodge this!" I leapt into the air, and attacked DiZ head on. I was able to push him back a few inches. Before he could sit up straight, I threw the keyblade, confident that it would strike him in the chest this time. But once again, it was blocked. I looked to see the intruder disguised as an Organization XIII member. He blocked my keyblade with his own. "What the…?" His keyblade was surrounded with the essence of Darkness. I was able to catch my keyblade in the air. As I did, DiZ made a full recovery and finally stood up on his own. "So…you two are working together." I had a hunch these two were partners, but I had to have proof. This was my proof. "Guess I was right all along."

"You knew?" DiZ asked, amazed I figured it out on my own.

I chuckled. "I had a hunch. Two intruders break into a castle in another world? They have to work together, otherwise they'd be illiminated." I put my guard back up as the imposter rushed me. He was too fast for me to react. Before I knew it, I was on the floor struggling to get up. As I reached for my keyblade, I noticed a small object lying next to it. I reached for it to see that it was a key chain shaped like a crescent moon. It came back to me. My father gave me this before he was killed. I grasped it in my hand and held it close to me.

"What is that in your hand?" DiZ asked me, standing next to the imposter. They were both just a few feet away.

I panted, trying to catch my breath. Finally I was able to speak. "This is a key chain." I wheezed as I tried to stand up. "It was a gift…from my father." While clenching it close to me, I reached for my keyblade, whispering to the key chain, praying for my father to keep me safe. "As long as I have it, I'll stay strong. I won't give up." As I prepared to fight again, my body gave out in a split second, and all I saw was white.

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

Me: Sorry for not updating in a long time. I'm with my dad and his new place has no internet. Well...he doesn't have a connection of his own.

Axel: Then how are you on now?

Me: I'm at my grandmas, smarty-pants.

Axel: Whatever.

Larxene: Where the hell is my latte?

Me: I sent it to your trailer.

Larxene: It's not in there.

Xigbar: Man this latte is delicious!

Me: Umm...is that a Caramel latte with whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top?

Xigbar: Yep. I didn't think I'd like caramel, but I was wrong.

...

Larxene: *hits Xigbar with a lightning attack*

Me: That's gotta hurt. Umm...I'll get you a new latte Larxene.

Larxene: Good. I'll be in my trailer.

Axel: We're gonna need a doctor.

Me: Calling one now. Oh, please R&R. Thanks.


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen:**

"That idiot's going to pay for what he said to me!"

"Calm down, Umixe." Axel grabbed a hold of my arm to stop me from hitting the wall again. "What happened down there?"

I snatched my hand away from Axel, not even wanting to repeat his words. He spoke of me and my father as if he knew us. One thing was for sure: next time I see him, he's history!

"Umixe!" Axel's voice made me come back from my flashback. "Aren't you going to tell us what went on?"

"I don't even want to mention it." I told him, clenching my fists harder and harder. "Saix came in and took over. He's down there now."

"Typical." I heard Vexen say under his voice.

I turned around and walked up to him. "What did you just say?"

"It's obvious he saw that your powers were weak."

"You don't know anything about me!" I exclaimed, clenching my fists even harder, trying not to call my keyblade to my hand. "I'm sick of you belittling me! You're just afraid that I might be stronger than you!" I saw his body react to my insult. He tried not to look intimidated, but I could see a small hint of it.

Vexen chuckled. "Is that what you think? Then how about we prove your words?"

"Fine by me." I said, releasing my grip slowly. "I'll show you what I'm really made of."

"Stop." I looked over to see Marluxia walk in between me and Vexen. "This battle will not happen." He was addressing this to Vexen. It was his job to defend and protect me. That's exactly what he was doing.

"Out of my way, Marluxia!" Vexen exclaimed, waving his hand at him. "This doesn't concern you at all!"

"If it involves Umixe, then it is my concern." He said. I kept my eyes on Vexen, waiting to see what he'd do.

"If you refuse to move, then I'll move you myself!" In his hand appeared a shield that had icicles on the top. Marluxia didn't even try to move or defend himself in any way. He aimed it like a gun and fired ice shards. Seeing that Marluxia wasn't going to move, I summoned my keyblade, and commanded it to block the shards. I ran next to Marluxia, and commanded my keyblade from there. When the shards came into contact with the keyblade, I ordered it to deflect the shards back to Vexen. It swung itself like a baseball bat and hit the shards with great force, sending them right back to Vexen. He had no time to react, and was struck directly. The shards forced him back and slammed him on the ground. The key then returned to my side, levitating in the air. We all watched as Vexen struggled to get back up.

Marluxia patted me on the back and said, "Well done. Your reflexes are truly astounding."

I looked at him and smiled. "Thanks." He returned his attention back to Vexen as he was getting to his knees.

"Vexen, you do know that your actions are traitorous?" He informed him. "Because of that, I could choose to end your existence." What did he mean by that? That's new to me. But it seemed to have a huge effect on Vexen. Once he was on his feet again, he trembled at Marluxia. "However, because you did no harm to anyone, I will show you mercy. But this will be your only warning. Next time…you won't be so lucky." Marluxia's threat even made me tremble in fear. I slowly backed away from him, and went to Axel's side. He could tell I was afraid, and worried.

It wasn't long before Vexen regained his composure and put on a smile as if nothing happened. "Very well then. I'll take on the intruder and show you what true strength is."

"You can't take on the intruder!" I exclaimed to Vexen.

Vexen scowled at me. "You had your chance and you failed!"

His ego was too big for his head. "That's not what I meant! Neither of the intruders are in the castle!"

They all looked to me for more information. But I was sure that Zexion knew this too. "Where are they then?" Axel asked me.

"I don't know. Their presences have completely disappeared from the castle and this world entirely. It faded about ten minutes ago." These intruders have to be stealthy to escape Castle Oblivion without anyone noticing until the last minute. "There's nothing else we can do."

Vexen scoffed at me. "Do you think that'll stop me? Unlike you, I'm not afraid of these fools. Stay here and coward behind Marluxia as always while I go and show them what true power is." He turned his back, and went off to find the intruders. He really was an idiot like Larxene said. Not saying another word, I sat back down in the chair in the corner and pondered over who could be the intruders. The one that smelled of pure Darkness also seemed somewhat familiar. His aura was covered in Darkness, but it was also comforting; like burying yourself in a bed with sheets made of pure Egyptian cotton. That feeling of absolute comfort and safety, but I didn't know why it felt this way.

"You shouldn't give this situation that much thought." I looked up at Axel. He saw that I was struggling with questions and tried to draw my attention away from them. "If you're afraid, I'll stay with you and protect you." His words made me feel better, but the questions were still floating around in my head.

I stood up and walked toward the door. "Where do you think you're going?" Marluxia's voice brought me to an abrupt halt.

"I want to look at Kingdom Hearts. I need to be alone for a while." I left the room, making sure no one followed me. I sat on the edge of a pillar and let myself get lost in Kingdom Hearts and its luminous glow. It was the only light source in this realm. "Kingdom Hearts, there are so many questions I need answered. Please help me." As I said that, something shocked inside of me. At first I couldn't breathe, but then everything faded around me. Soon I found myself in another empty void, all alone. Suddenly, I felt the ground collapse underneath me, and I soon began to fall into the void. Normally I'd scream and panic, but I was calm as I began feeling myself floating and landing softly on the ground. Now I was on a platform as bright as the sun. But the corners were black and covered in purple aura. "What's going on? What is this place?"

"This is your heart." A voice from above answered me. I looked around and waited for someone to appear in front of me. But no one showed up.

"Who are you?" I asked. I was actually afraid of the answer, but was still curious.

"I am the voice of your heart." The voice…of my heart? This was the first time I wanted to be dragged away.

"Okay, if you're the voice of my heart, then what am I doing here?"

"You were called here. The voice of Kingdom Hearts summoned you."

That was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. I don't have any connection with Kingdom Hearts, because I barely understand it. All I did know was the Organization practically worshipped it. "How does it call to me if I have no ties to it?"

"You do have ties to Kingdom Hearts. Why else would it have sent you here?" He had a point, but I still wasn't convinced. "If you do not believe me, join your aura with Kingdom Hearts and speak with it."

"Speak with it? Is that even possible?" This whole experience was really confusing.

"You are the Heart Reader after all. You can't deny that." He was right. For as long as I can remember, I've been able to read the emotions of others. I was able to enter their hearts and feel their emotions. I gave it a try. I closed my eyes and let all other thoughts fade away. Soon, I felt my aura and the aura of Kingdom Hearts mix together and become one. Its energy was incredible. The power it had within itself made me shiver for a minute, but then it felt relaxing. I could hear its thoughts and feelings. "This is…Kingdom Hearts." I murmured. "It's…crying. Its thoughts come from the millions of hearts within it. They all want to be set free." Once I understood its emotions, I felt its aura disappear. "Is Kingdom Hearts depending on me to release it?"

"Yes, for you are the only one who can. But your heart is tainted with Darkness." I looked at the dark aura that took over the edge of the platform I was standing on; the edges of my heart.

"It's because I've become one with the Darkness. It's where I belong."

A jolt of lightning shocked me and made me open my eyes. I found myself back in Castle Oblivion, staring at Kingdom Hearts. Was all that just a dream? Or was I just in a hypnotic state, actually communicating with Kingdom Hearts? This whole experience was overwhelming. "So…you do have a voice." I continued staring at it until I felt a hand touch my back. I jumped and turned around to see Lexaeus standing there. "What's your problem!" I exclaimed, grabbing a hold of my chest. "You could've given me a heart attack!" That was probably the wrong thing to say to him, considering he was a Nobody and didn't have a heart, but it didn't look like he cared at all.

"What are you doing here?" he asked me. "You shouldn't be out in the open like this."

I pulled myself together and told him the same thing I told everyone else here: "I can take care of myself. I don't need a babysitter."He had the same angry expression on his face as always. Nothing seemed to faze him at all. He walked away, saying absolutely nothing. "Hey, you're not going to nag on me about how there are intruders running around?"

"It's not my concern." He said, stopping abruptly. "It's your choice to do what you want." He continued to walk away. Now I know why they call him the Silent Hero. Besides sneaking up on people and scaring them half to death. Once he was gone, I took one more look at Kingdom Hearts and then decided to take a little walk of my own. As I walked through the halls of Castle Oblivion, I realized that there wasn't a single thought in my head. All my thoughts just vanished into thin air.

"You say you belong to the Darkness. But is that really true?" I turned around quickly to see the man in the red bandages staring at me with a blank expression.

Before I knew it, my keyblade was right by my side. "You again." I growled. "I'm sick of seeing you around here! So why don't you just take a hike before you really get hurt."

The man chuckled. "It's amazing to see how your fear fuels you."

"Fear? You think I'm afraid of you?" I laughed loudly, making sure he could hear it. "That's hilarious! There's no way I'd ever be afraid of the likes of you!"

"Is that so? Then prove you're not afraid. Attack me!" Did he think I was bluffing? He was openly mocking me, so sure I'd turn the other way and run.

"If you say so. But just remember that you asked for it." I got into offensive mode, preparing to attack. Then something occurred to me. "Hang on a minute. I never got your name."

"Why would that be important?" he asked.

"Because…I'd like to know the identity of the person I'm going to destroy."

He chuckled and told me his name. "If you're anxious to know, I am known as DiZ."

'What kind of name is that?' I asked myself. It didn't matter anyway because he was about to die. "Fine DiZ, prepare to be destroyed!" I launched my keyblade at him. I made sure it was aimed directly at his heart, but he put up a shield that deflected my keyblade and shot it right past me. My body froze at the fact that he barely moved. He was sure he was going to be safe.

"Was that surprising to you?" he asked, seeing my shocked face. When he addressed it, I put it out of my mind and quickly retrieved my keyblade.

I looked at DiZ, frustrated. "It was only surprising that you were confident that you would be okay!" I grasped my keyblade and charged at him directly. "Let's see if you can dodge this!" I leapt into the air, and attacked DiZ head on. I was able to push him back a few inches. Before he could sit up straight, I threw the keyblade, confident that it would strike him in the chest this time. But once again, it was blocked. I looked to see the intruder disguised as an Organization XIII member. He blocked my keyblade with his own. "What the…?" His keyblade was surrounded with the essence of Darkness. I was able to catch my keyblade in the air. As I did, DiZ made a full recovery and finally stood up on his own. "So…you two are working together." I had a hunch these two were partners, but I had to have proof. This was my proof. "Guess I was right all along."

"You knew?" DiZ asked, amazed I figured it out on my own.

I chuckled. "I had a hunch. Two intruders break into a castle in another world? They have to work together, otherwise they'd be illiminated." I put my guard back up as the imposter rushed me. He was too fast for me to react. Before I knew it, I was on the floor struggling to get up. As I reached for my keyblade, I noticed a small object lying next to it. I reached for it to see that it was a key chain shaped like a crescent moon. It came back to me. My father gave me this before he was killed. I grasped it in my hand and held it close to me.

"What is that in your hand?" DiZ asked me, standing next to the imposter. They were both just a few feet away.

I panted, trying to catch my breath. Finally I was able to speak. "This is a key chain." I wheezed as I tried to stand up. "It was a gift…from my father." While clenching it close to me, I reached for my keyblade, whispering to the key chain, praying for my father to keep me safe. "As long as I have it, I'll stay strong. I won't give up." As I prepared to fight again, my body gave out in a split second, and all I saw was white.

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

Me: Sorry for not updating in a long time. I'm with my dad and his new place has no internet. Well...he doesn't have a connection of his own.

Axel: Then how are you on now?

Me: I'm at my grandmas, smarty-pants.

Axel: Whatever.

Larxene: Where the hell is my latte?

Me: I sent it to your trailer.

Larxene: It's not in there.

Xigbar: Man this latte is delicious!

Me: Umm...is that a Caramel latte with whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top?

Xigbar: Yep. I didn't think I'd like caramel, but I was wrong.

...

Larxene: *hits Xigbar with a lightning attack*

Me: That's gotta hurt. Umm...I'll get you a new latte Larxene.

Larxene: Good. I'll be in my trailer.

Axel: We're gonna need a doctor.

Me: Calling one now. Oh, please R&R. Thanks.


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty:**

My breathing was slow and steady, even though I was in pain a few minutes ago. I opened my eyes to find myself floating in an ocean. I was under water, but I wasn't drowning. The water hugged me like a small child in its mother's arms. "These are all the tears you've cried in your life." I looked around to see a glowing orb appear next to me.

"My…tears?" I asked. "But I really haven't cried that much."

"Not out loud maybe. But inside, you've cried. You held in your emotions for the sake of your father's memories. As you slept, you cried on the inside." I had no memory of this. It was true that I held in my emotions, but I never cried on the inside because my dreams were happy. The dreams of my father made me calm and sometimes laugh.

"That's not true." I whispered. "I was never in pain on the inside. My dreams filled me with happy thoughts."

"Are you sure about that?" it asked me. "How much do you really know about your past?" The orb disappeared and the water began turning around me. I was caught in a strong current; the force pushed and pulled my body around. As it spun me, I found myself not being able to breathe. I tried to swim to the surface, but I was being pulled deeper and deeper down.

"Dance water, dance!" I felt cold water splash on my face. I woke up to find myself at the Alter of Naught with Xemnas, Demyx and Luxord.

I clenched my chest, panting at the relief I could breathe again. "Xemnas, what…happened?"

"Luxord found you passed out in the middle of the hallway." He explained. "You found them didn't you?" he asked me, referring to the intruders.

"I swear I didn't mean to!" I exclaimed, still overwhelmed at what happened to me. "I was looking at Kingdom Hearts when I was ambushed! They forced me to fight! I couldn't get away!"

"Calm down, Umixe, everything's alright." Xemnas helped me up and then took me into his arms in sympathy. "I don't blame you. You were attacked from behind." Like Axel, his cold skin was comforting and made my body calm down and stop shivering.

"We looked around, but didn't find anyone." Demyx reported. "They probably left because they sensed us nearby."

"Luxord, take Umixe to her room. She needs to rest for a while." As he said that, Xemnas released me and handed me to Luxord. I followed him into my room, then took a seat on the bed.

I stared out the window, wondering what my vision meant. That strange orb asked me if I really knew my past. Of course I know my past. Who else would know it but me, right? "You're awfully quiet." Luxord examined, standing behind me. "What's on your mind?"

What was I supposed to say? I couldn't really describe my feelings at this moment. Everything was coming and going all too quickly. "It's…hard to say." I finally answered. "There are so many things running through me. I don't know what to feel." I grabbed my chest tightly like I was afraid of my heart jumping out and running away. "It's like…my memories are fading, and I'm losing half of myself. What does that mean?"

"It means you're revealing your true self." He answered. "The real you is finally coming out. Don't fight it; accept it and let it take over." Luxord vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving me all alone to answer the millions of questions that were floating around in my head. 'What did he mean by that?' I asked myself. But I knew I was never going to get the answer.

A few minutes later, Lexaeus and Zexion appeared in my room. I was in the same spot I was when Luxord was here. "How are you feeling, Umixe?" Zexion asked. "You know, this is the first time we've officially spoken to one another."

I didn't say anything. There was nothing to say to that. Finally, I spoke. "What are you doing here?" I didn't take my eyes off the window, as I spoke to them. I was waiting for something to happen. But what?

"Demyx noticed you dropped this, and wanted us to return it to you." I turned to watch Lexaeus pull something from his pocket. When he held it out, I noticed it was the key chain my father had given me. I jumped off the bed and took it back.

I stared at it, not sure how I didn't notice it was gone. "When did I drop it?" I asked.

"He said it was when Luxord retrieved you. He didn't notice it until a minute after you left with him." Zexion explained.

As I stared at it, I saw my father's face, smiling and laughing. I saw the confidence he always wore to tell me that everything was going to be okay. "Thanks you guys. I don't know what I'd do if I lost this." I said softly.

"What is it?" Zexion asked.

"It's a key chain my father gave to me." I answered. "He gave it to me after we came to Hollow Bastion. It's the one and only thing that I have left of him; along with his memories." I put the key chain back in my pocket and made sure to keep it safe. "Has Xemnas found the intruders yet?" I asked, changing the subject.

"No he hasn't." Zexion answered. "Their scents are gone. They left the castle…"

"…but they're still in this world." I finished his sentence for him. "Same story every time." I sighed.

"We should go after them." Lexaeus spoke up. "If they're still in this world, then the Dusks will track them down eventually and that's when we attack." He had a good point, but we couldn't really do anything until someone gave the order.

"Aren't we supposed to wait until that order is given? Xemnas said we shouldn't fight these guys unless we were given an order."

"She's right, Lexaeus." Zexion agreed with me, standing by my side. "If we try to take them on, there's a chance we might not make it out in one piece. The Superior said not to go into action without the order."

Lexaeus stood there and pondered for a brief minute. He nodded in agreement. "You're right. I should've known this."

I went over and placed my hand on his shoulder. "You're just stressed out. This whole situation has put everyone on edge." I explained, smiling at him. "The best thing we can do now is wait." Lexaeus nodded while remaining calm as usual. "I'm going to find Axel." I said as I walked past them and through a portal I conjured. "See you guys around." I went to the room I've been in for the past few days. Only Marluxia and Vexen were there. "Have either of you seen Axel?" I asked approaching them.

"No we haven't." Marluxia answered.

"He said he had some important things to take care of, and left." Vexen explained.

"I see." I was disappointed because I really wanted to spend time with him. Then it hit me...I think I know where he could be. "I'll look somewhere else."

I came to the top of the clock tower in Twilight Town to see Axel sitting alone and eating sea-salt ice cream…as I expected. At this point, Axel was becoming predictable. "I thought you'd be here." I snuck up behind him and sat beside him. I saw the expressionless look on his face and saw that something was wrong. "Are you okay?" I asked him, placing my hand over his.

He let out a big sigh and answered, "Something in me…just doesn't feel right."

I looked at him confused. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Did you do something wrong?" He looked at me apologetically, like he had hit me and felt bad about it. He lifted his hand from mine and gently stroked my cheek. The feel of it sent chills down my spine. The whole time, I never looked away from him. I wanted him to tell me what was going on in his head. The look of apology in his eyes suddenly turned to passion. That's when I realized he was slowly leaning toward my face, dropping his ice cream on the ground. He lifted my chin up and gently touched his lips to mine. It caught me by surprise, but I didn't pull away. Instead, I grabbed him and pulled him closer to me. His body was freezing cold, but his lips were warm. I never wanted this moment to end; I wanted to stay like this forever. But…this sensation…the sensation a person gets when they're with someone they really care for, it…seemed familiar. As we continued kissing, I saw myself on a strange island with another person. He…was holding me close as we watched the sunset. It wasn't Axel…it was…I don't know who he was. He was a stranger, but he looked familiar to me. My head cleared once Axel pulled away and continued staring at me. "Wow Axel." I whispered, flipping my bangs from my face. "That…was unexpected of you." I felt my face and noticed it was warm from extreme blushing.

Axel chuckled, feeling guilty. "Sorry about that. Something…took over me." I laughed at his shyness just because he randomly kissed me.

He looked from me to the sun-filled sky. "Are you feeling regret because of that kiss?" I asked him, laughing at his face. I couldn't stop laughing, because it was funny how his attitude just changed in the blink of an eye.

"N-No, it's not that." He stuttered, still not looking at me. He finally calmed down and put on a small smile. "It's just that…this is the first time I've felt this way about someone before. I never thought I could."

I leaned closer to him to make him look at me. "Why's that?" I turned his head to make him look at me in the eyes. He continued smiling at me. The look on his face gave the answer away. I let go of his chin and looked at him. "Is it because you're a Nobody?" I asked softly.

That smile made me feel really sorry for him, because he was trying to be strong for me. I felt bad because he was trying so hard that it looked like it hurt him. He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me close to him so that my head rested on his chest. "Even though I have feelings for you, Umixe, I can't show you true love."

When he said that, it almost made me cry. There was no doubt that I had feelings for Axel, but I suddenly realized he was right. It was hard for me to show affections for him when he didn't have a heart. "So how do have feelings for me if you can't show it?" I asked, comforting myself in his chest.

"When I'm with you like this…it feels like…I have a heart." I didn't realize it until later that I was crying because of all the emotions that ran through the air around me. "Even though I'm a Nobody, something inside me still wants to be with you and protect you no matter what." His body began trembling out of what felt like anger and frustration.

"Axel." I felt the tears in my eyes begin to flow harder down my face. "It doesn't matter whether you have a heart or not…as long as I know you care for me, then I can be with you forever." We stayed like this for a while because neither of us wanted to move.

I opened my eyes, not remembering when I fell asleep. I looked around to find myself back in the castle in my bed. Was everything that just happened a dream? I was confused until I rolled over and bumped into something. I rubbed my eyes to clear my vision. The figure I saw was Axel, lying next to me, with one arm around me. I stared at him while listening to his soft breathing. I snuggled close to him and went back to sleep. The feel of his cold breath on my neck gave me tingles, but I let them put me to sleep. So everything that happened was real. I probably just fell asleep so he brought me back and decided to stay with me. That scene kept playing over and over in my head.

"Umixe…Umixe." I woke up to the sound someone whispering my name. I opened my eyes to see Axel standing over me.

I stretched, then rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "Good morning, Axel." I yawned, trying to keep my eyes open. "What's going on?"

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

heehee I kept smiling as I typed this ^^ I seriously got tingles with every word that came on the screen.

Axel: You're a good kisser, Misuki.

*blushes* umm...Thanks Axel.

Riku: I bet I'm a better kisser than you.

Axel: Is that so?

Riku: Yes because remember while she was kissing you, she was thinking of me.

That was...just for that scene. Don't start another fight guys!

Axel: He started it!

I don't care! I'm not going to get in between you two every time you fight! Go in your trailers and get ready for the next chapter. Folks, thanks for tuning in again and don't forget to R&R.


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One:**

He leaned and wiped sleep from my cheek and rubbed out the tears that formed from my yawing. "Xemnas has an announcement to make. We have to go to the Alter of Naught." He offered his hand to me to help me out of bed. I grabbed it and shifted my weight to sit up. My legs were still wobbly, but Axel was there to catch me before I fell.

I looked up at him and laughed. "Sorry about that. I guess my legs are still asleep." I pushed off of his body and stood up on my own. Once I got my balance back, Axel opened a portal and guided me through to the Alter.

When we arrived, everyone was there except Xemnas. We all waited patiently, wondering what this meeting could be about. But…why did Xemnas want us to meet here instead of the Conference Room? I turned to Axel and asked him. "Hey Axel, why are we meeting here?"

It took him a while to answer me because he was staring at Kingdom Hearts…as was everyone else in the room. "You can't feel it?" He asked me. He sounded like he was hypnotized or something. What was I supposed to feel?

Out of nowhere, Xemnas finally appeared and everyone shifted their attention straight to him. It was scary how they all were back to normal once Xemnas entered the room. "My friends, Kingdom Hearts is almost completed." Xemnas directed everyone's attention to Kingdom Hearts. It glowed brighter than the last time I looked at it. As I stared at it, a powerful energy flowed through me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I felt a hint of adrenaline. Was this the sensation the others were feeling not too long ago? Xemnas continued speaking as he began to stare at me. "Soon, our goal will be realized, and we will be complete at last. But first, we must step up our defense against these intruders. They must not stand in our way. Umixe, Zexion…step forward." He gestured me to approach him. I slowly made my way through the crowd and stood next to Zexion. We faced each other, then turned to Xemnas. "You two are able to sense the intruders whether they are near or far." He explained. I knew where this was headed. "I want you to concentrate and find them so we can make our move." With his instructions, Zexion placed his hand over his nose and focused on their scents. I closed my eyes and tried to locate their vibrations and energy.

After a few short minutes, Zexion spoke up. "One of them has entered the castle once again." He said, crossing his arms. "He's somewhere in the upper levels." When he was done, Xemnas looked at me.

My abilities were a little more thorough than Zexion's. I was able to tell where they were and where it was they were going. "The imposter is near the Conference Room. He's on the offense, waiting to be ambushed. He's expecting us to attack. The other one however...the one known as DiZ, is walking around Twilight Town near the train station. He's pacing back and forth, uneasy it seems." I locked in on his heart. It was racing out of anxiety and anger. "Based on his movements, he seems to be waiting for the imposter to return. It's possible that the imposter is here to look for clues or something."

Xemnas smiled at my description of the enemies.

"If he's expecting us to attack, should we just wait and pull the Dusks back? Otherwise he'll counter and take us out at once." Lexaeus suggested. By the look on everyone's face, it looked like they agreed with him.

"The Dusks have already been pulled back. It's best if we stay here until he leaves." Xemnas said.

"But what if he comes here?" I asked, knowing there was a possibility that he could show up.

"If he's only looking for clues, he won't come here." He answered. Somewhat freaked out by this, I made my way back to Axel and held onto him. Seeing that I was frightened, he wrapped his arms around me and protected me. I kept my mind open and focused on the imposter's movements. Right now he was running around in the upper levels, taking his time searching through every room in the castle. I then sensed that he jumped from the fourth level to the first. "He just skipped three levels and is running around the first floor." I reported to Xemnas.

"What is he planning?" he asked me.

"I don't know." I answered. "It's like he's just…taking a tour or something. Hold on." I paused, sensing the imposter retreat and meet DiZ in Twilight Town. "He just left and met back up with DiZ at the train station!" From there, I lost the connection and collapsed. Luckily I was already near Axel, so he just gripped my body tightly and held me close to him. "I'm sorry, the connection was broken. I can only use it for so long."

"We already have all the information we need." Xemnas said. "This meeting is adjourned." With the order, everyone disappeared and went their separate ways.

"Let's go with Marluxia." Axel said.

"Uhhh…actually, I wanted to check something out." I said. He gave me a curious look. "I promise I'm not going after the intruders. It's something else." I went through my own portal and headed to Twilight Town.

I came to a strange mansion that seemed abandoned. I didn't know this place, but something inside me said to come here. "What is this place?" I asked myself.

"Hey look, it's Misuki!" I turned around to see two little chipmunks scurrying toward me and jumping excitedly. One had two buck teeth and a red nose, while the other had a black nose. "It's so good to see you again!" The black-nosed chipmunk exclaimed.

I stared at him, wondering if they were confused. "I'm sorry little ones; I think you have the wrong person. My name is Umixe, not Misuki."

They're faces went from excited to sad and upset within seconds.

"Anyway, do either of you to know who used to live in this mansion?" I asked them, starring at the vine-covered house. Strange memories suddenly ran through my head. I couldn't describe them because they were fuzzy and unclear. I looked down at the chipmunks to see both of their heads shake. "Strange." I said to myself. "I don't know this place, but…I feel like I've been here before."

"Are you sure you've never been here?" One of the chipmunks asked me.

I nodded, still staring at the mansion. "I'm positive. But, I feel…a connection with this place." I shook my head in frustration, trying to let it go. "I'm so confused!" I fell to the ground, feeling a massive headache begin to form.

"So this is where you ran off to." I look up to see Vexen appear in front of the mansion, looking down at me. Not knowing what he was going to do, I quickly sprang to my feet and got ready to call my keyblade. He chuckled at me, amused by my quick reflexes. "Umixe…tell me: What brought you to this place? Do you even know?"

I looked at him, trying to figure out the answer to that. "Why is that important to you?!" I asked.

"It's just interesting that you came here, and have no memories of this place." He was right; I had no memories of this mansion at all. So, why did I come here? As I pondered, I felt a small energy coming from one of my pockets. I reached in and pulled out the key chain that my father gave me.

Was it this that brought me here? I felt the spirit of my father talk to me. "There's something here…something that's important for some reason. It's…calling to me."

"What is calling to you?" Vexen asked me, smiling ear to ear.

That's when it hit me. "I got it!" I exclaimed, clenching the key chain in my fist. "This is just another of your tricks! Well it's not going to work this time!" I summoned my keyblade, and pointed it right at Vexen. As I did, he summoned his ice shield. The second he did, I attacked him head on and lashed the keyblade at him. Unfortunately, he was able to evade my attack and blast an ice shard at my back. The pain made me go to my knees. But I quickly got back up and dodged more attacks he fired right after the last one. "Nice try, old man!" I exclaimed. "I'm too quick for you!"

"Is that so?" he taunted. "Then try dodging this!" The ground shook beneath me and ice popped out of the ground. I jumped in the air and barely escaped. But once I landed, the attacks kept coming one after another. The only thing on my mind at this point was trying to avoid each attack and strike Vexen quickly. But I couldn't get close to him because his speed increased dramatically. Trying to think of a quick victory, I tripped over a block of ice and fell to the floor. "It's over!" He launched more ice shards at me, which gave me an idea.

"I don't think so!" I quickly dashed out of the way and struck him from behind like he did me. I put all my energy into the attack, to make Vexen fall to the ground. I jumped out of the way and watched him struggle to get up. "Now tell me! What does this mansion have to do with me?" I figured since I beat him, he'd tell me.

Instead, he laughed, and said, "You still haven't figured it out? You're more stupid than I thought!"

"What did you say?" Calling me stupid while he was there on his knees after he just got smacked down by me? He was in no position for that.

He finally got to his feet, but he was swaying back and forth, trying to regain his balance. "This place…the feeling that you've been here before; it's all a lie!"

"What do you mean this place is a lie?" I asked, not having a clue of what he was talking about.

"There are memories you have that were planted there to manipulate you!" He stopped to take a breath, then continued on. "That key chain of yours is part of the truth. If you don't connect with it and discover the truth, the shackles will tighten; you'll lose your heart…and end up becoming Marluxia's pawn!"

Marluxia? What did he have to do with it? I didn't get what Vexen was telling me, but before I could ask him about everything, a fireball rushed past me and hit Vexen head on, pushing him back down to the ground. I turned around to see Axel standing there with a smug look on his face. "Axel…when did you get here?" I asked.

He walked over to me, ignoring my question. All of his attention was on Vexen. "You…what are you…doing here?" Vexen strained, trying to stand up again.

"I came to stop you from talking too much…by eliminating your existence." Once I faced Vexen, Axel covered my eyes.

All I heard was Vexen panting and begging for mercy. "No! Please don't!"

"We are Nobodies who have no reason to be, yet we still are. You're off the hook." What was Axel talking about? That speech came out of nowhere. "Good-bye." After Axel said that, I heard his fingers snap, followed by an explosion and screaming. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew something was wrong when Vexen's presence suddenly vanished. "Are you okay, Umixe?" I heard Axel whisper to me.

I couldn't say anything because I was in a state of shock. "Wh-What just…"

"You don't have to worry about it." He interrupted me as he lowered his hand from my eyes. When my vision was finally back, Vexen was gone. Axel…got rid of him for good. My breathing slowed down, and soon everything went white.

When I finally came to, I was in Axel's arms. "What happened?" I moaned, looking around.

"You passed out after Vexen disappeared." Marluxia said.

Everything came back to me. "Vexen…tried to…hurt me. He…attacked me." Axel set me down against the wall, keeping a hold of my head and hand.

"That's exactly why he was destroyed." Marluxia said, walking up to me. "He was a traitor, and had to be eliminated."

"That's enough, Umixe." Axel said, moving his hand from my head to my cheek. "You need to rest. What's done is done." But I wasn't satisfied. There was no way they'd get rid of Vexen just because he almost hurt me. There was something more to it than that. Axel knew I was on to him by the way he looked at me. But the longer he stared in my eyes, the more guilt that seemed to fill him.

"While you tend to her, I'm going to report this to the Superior." Marluxia said.

"That won't be necessary." Saix appeared into the room. "He's already been informed about Vexen's betrayal. In fact, if Axel hadn't gotten to him first, Xemnas was going to send me to do it." Saix looked at me intensely. I tried to look away, but I couldn't break his gaze.

"Well, since one betrayed the Organization, we should be cautious of the others, right?" Larxene explained, smiling. Her words made Saix release his gaze on me and focus on her. "If one is a traitor, then there could be others."

"Larxene's right." Axel said, standing up in front of me as if he was protecting me. "You know the old saying: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Isn't that right…Marluxia?" Axel's sarcastic tone was strange. It was as if he was trying to say that Marluxia was a traitor as well. I looked over at Marluxia, only to see him chuckle.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

I'm back from vacation! I was in Florida for four weeks and it was fun XD Now I'm home and am trying to have fun my last two weeks of summer before I have to return to school. The past three days since I've been back I have fallen asleep during the day. I hate it! I have top get out and do something!

Anyway, pleade R&R Thanks ^^


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two:**

"You're absolutely right, Axel." Marluxia agreed. "We must keep an eye on the other members." His tone was dark and sinister that sent shivers down my spine. The tension that was in the room almost made my chest burst.

"Very well. What's done is done." Saix left with those words.

"Now then, let's take a look at your wounds, Umixe." Marluxia began approaching me when Axel blocked him, standing in between me and him. Marluxia stared intensely at Axel. "Is there a problem, Axel?"

I saw Axel's body tense up for a minute. I heard his breathing speed up, then slow down. "I'll take care of her. She just needs some rest." He turned around back to me and picked me up, even though I could walk on my own. As Axel walked toward the door and formed a portal, Marluxia placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Xemnas wants her to stay here with me." He told Axel. Axel stopped and let out a soft growl that was audible only to me. "He doesn't want her to wander out of our sights. She can heal here." It seemed Axel really wanted to get me away from Marluxia.

"Axel, it's okay." I told him, smiling at him despite the slight pain I still felt in my side. "I'll be fine. It's probably best to not move me too much because of my wounds." He looked at me with a disappointed look, but agreed when he closed the portal he made and sat me back down against the wall where I was. After he sat me down, I reached into my pocket and got out a vile of special elixir that heals wounds and relaxes muscles. I poured a little bit into my hand and rubbed it onto my side. As I massaged the potion into my skin, the pain began fading away in less than a minute. I then let it set as I relaxed my muscles.

"Will you be okay?" Axel asked me.

I looked at him and smiled. "Don't worry about me." I told him. "I had a small bruise on my side, which explains the pain. This medicine got rid of it, but it'll take time for the pain to go away." There was still a little shock of pain but it wasn't too serious. Then I felt something strange. I knew that feeling all too well. "He's back." I whispered. "The imposter is back. He's very close to here. Two corridors down. His power…it's ten times stronger than before." His strength somehow increased in only a few weeks. Whatever he was searching for, he was one hundred percent determined to get it.

"Why don't I handle this one?" Larxene spoke up, seeming bored just standing around doing nothing. "I've been bored sitting on the sidelines. I'll take care of him once and for all." She left without letting anyone speak a single word. I wondered in my head if she really could take him on. Last time she barely made it out alive.

"She's too arrogant for her own good." Axel said. "Does she really expect it to be easy this time?"

"If she falls, it will be because of her." Marluxia left the room, finally leaving me and Axel alone with each other.

As soon as he was gone, I felt my side to see if the pain was still there. I pushed against my side and still had a little bit of pain left. It was fading away quickly, so I tried standing up on my own. It was hard at first, but I finally managed to stand on my feet. "Hey you shouldn't be standing." Axel told me, holding my shoulders.

I pushed him away and said, "I'm okay, Axel. The pain is only minor now. I can stand by myself." He looked at me for a while, then finally let me go on my own. "I have to confront the imposter alone. Maybe he can tell me who DiZ is and what he's looking for." Axel actually let me leave, and didn't even try to stop me. As I made my way toward the imposter and Larxene, I noticed that her presence had vanished instantly.

When I finally arrived, Larxene had just faded away. The imposter was there with a keyblade clenched in his hands. When I caught a glimpse of it, I summoned mine. "It's time to put an end to this once and for all." He stared at me, not saying a word. "Let's see which one of us will come out on top!" I rushed him and attacked him from above. I managed to put force in my attack and push him back a few feet. He wasn't shaken up, but he was cautious of my abilities.

"That's enough!" A voice came from behind him. It was DiZ. The sight of him made my blood boil.

"You want a piece of me too!?" I exclaimed, going back on the offense.

"I don't think this fight is necessary." He said, keeping his face calm despite the angry wavelengths I sent him.

"Fine, I won't fight you…if you give me some answers."

DiZ nodded. "What would you like to know?" he asked. I looked at the imposter as he lowered his keyblade and let DiZ get in front of him. I lowered my keyblade as well, but kept it close to me just in case they decided to ambush me.

"I only want to know one thing: why are you here in Castle Oblivion? What is it you're looking for?" My question made the imposter flinch just a little. After he flinched, he looked away as if looking at me was suddenly causing him pain.

DiZ sat quietly for a minute, trying to think of the best way to answer my question. "We want to stop Organization XIII from completing Kingdom Hearts. And…we have come to save you from their grasp."

That just made me a bit uneasy. Not only are they planning on destroying Organization XIII and Kingdom Hearts, but they also want to kidnap me. That was not going to happen. "Well too bad you're never going to see your goals through! You want to stop us, you'll have to go through me first!" I rushed in for another attack, but they both disappeared before my eyes. While I sat there confused, I felt a force strike me in the back, making me fall to the ground. As DiZ and the imposter approached me, Axel came to my rescue.

"Don't you dare touch her!" he exclaimed, twirling his chakrams, ready to attack.

"You claim to have feelings for her, but how can you when you're just an empty shell?" DiZ called Axel out completely. I got to my feet, and stood in surprise. "Nobodies do not feel any emotion; they cannot love one that does have a heart, when they themselves lack a heart."

Axel couldn't say anything to DiZ's comment because it was exactly how he felt. I remembered when we shared that special moment at the top of the clock tower in Twilight Town. I felt all of his anger and frustration of not having a heart, yet he still cared for me the way I care for him. Finally I couldn't take it anymore. "I've heard enough!" I shouted. "You have no right to insult him like that when you don't understand his feelings! He loves me and I love him. As long as I remember this, it doesn't matter whether or not he has a heart!" I noticed the imposter flinch slightly. His keyblade rattled a bit beneath his shaking hands.

DiZ stared at me. "If you love a being that cannot return the feeling back, isn't that hard for you?" he asked me.

I laughed at him. He didn't get it at all. "You don't understand love at all. If two people enjoy each other's company and feel like a single being, having a heart has nothing to do with it."

As the argument went back and forth, I felt Axel's hand on my shoulder. "Stop it, Umixe. There's no point in arguing with them. We have to get out of here."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. Instead of answering me, he grabbed my hand and took us through a portal that led to the outside of the main entrance of Castle Oblivion. "Axel, what's going on?"

He looked around to make sure no one followed us. "Listen, I need to set things right before it's too late."

I jerked my hand from Axel and looked at him. "You're not making any sense. What are we running from?"

Once again he looked at me with apologetic eyes and a guilty face. "Everything here has been a complete lie." He came out and spoke his mind. "We've been manipulating you this whole time you've been with us."

"I…I don't understand. What do you mean?" I was so confused at this point that everything just became an eminent blur.

"Look deep within your heart and remember everything. Your real friends, your goal…your name. Your name isn't Umixe. It's Misuki."

The moment he said that name, something shocked in my head causing me extreme pain. I saw all these images rush past my eyes along with my childhood. I saw my father dying in front of me; Ansem the Wise taking me in and raising me as if I was his own daughter. But the memory that had the biggest impact on me was the image of a boy with spiky silver hair smiling at me and offering his hand. He said something to me. "As long as I'm here, I will never let anyone hurt you. I will protect you no matter what." Those words echoed through my head until the words changed and spoke the name of the boy. "Ri…Riku." Once I spoke his name, everything flashed to white, and I found myself back with Axel in the world of Darkness.

"Misuki, are you okay?" He asked me, holding me up close to him.

I quickly opened my eyes and looked around. Everything was clear to me, like I had been reborn. I looked up to see Axel's relieved face. "I think so. I remember everything now."

"Now do you understand?" He asked. "The Organization took away your memories so they could use you. But Marluxia was the one who went too far."

"Marluxia? What do you mean by that?" I asked, pushing off of him to stand on my own.

He helped me stand up, brushed off my shoulders and continued. "His plan was to take over the Organization by using you and your keyblade. He was going to harness the power of your keyblade, and make himself the new Superior."

All of this was so hard to take in...I didn't understand any of it.

"This is as far as I can take you." He said as he pointed me to the direction of the exit. "There's a portal just a few feet away from here. Go through it and you'll be back in Hollow Bastion."

I turned and looked at him. "But what about you?" I asked. "What if Marluxia finds out?"

Axel took a deep breath and then exhaled it out. "It's possible he already knows. So we don't have much time. Get through the portal and you'll be safe."

I didn't want to leave Axel. I was afraid something would happen to him. But he gave me no other choice. I hugged him one last time before taking off. "I'll never forget you." I whispered in his ear. Before I left, there was one question my heart wanted me to ask. "Axel, since I have my memories back, can you tell me about the imposter and DiZ? Like, who are they really?"

"I can't say much." He answered. "All I can say is they're not bad. They were trying to do the same thing I'm doing now: save you from the Organization and help you remember the truth."

'So what DiZ said back there was…'

"You can't stay here any longer. Get going!" Axel interrupted my thoughts and sent me on my way. I ran as fast as I could, not looking back at Axel. I summoned my keyblade and let it levitate beside me. I encountered some Heartless, but managed to fight them off and save some of the captured hearts. I was almost at the safe zone when a hoard of them surrounded me. Running and controlling the keyblade with my heart at the same time weakened me a bit. I couldn't take them all on in my condition.

I waited for my end to come when they all disappeared in the blink of an eye. "So here you are, Umixe." I looked behind me to see Marluxia standing there with his scythe in hand.


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**

He looked at me and smiled, thinking he had me cornered. "My name is not Umixe!" I exclaimed, grabbing my keyblade. "My name is Misuki!" I prayed that Axel would come and save me. But I knew he wouldn't so I had to save myself.

"So, Axel gave back your memories? Too bad you won't have them for long." He smirked.

"We'll see about that!" I raised my keyblade to the sky and summoned all the power locked within it. With one slash, I created an energy wave and sent it flying toward Marluxia. He jumped in the air and dodged it with no problem. I quickly followed him and took the battle to the sky. I tried to hit him directly but he blocked with his scythe. His power was incredible. When I first sensed his power, I thought it was identical to mine. But fighting him made me realize that he was a few levels higher than me. The next thing I knew, he managed to use his powers and push me back. I was about to fall head first to the ground, but I was able to do a one handed back flip and land on my feet. That battle took a lot out of me. I wasn't sure how long I could keep my defense up against him. 'I have to get away.' I thought to myself. 'If this keeps up, I won't be able to last much longer.'

Marluxia began laughing at my determined face. He saw I was tired, but still willing to go on. "It's hopeless." He told me. "You're about to fall, yet you are determined to stay standing and fight. You really are a special girl."

I had to keep going. I wasn't about to let Marluxia use me like a puppet. He was trying to psych me out and get inside my head. But it wasn't going to work. I had to stay focused and take him down. "How long do you plan to stay up?" he asked me.

"As long as it takes to defeat you!" I exclaimed, attacking him again. I slashed and thought I had him at last, but it was an illusion. All I saw were flower pedals dancing around me. My vision was obscured, but I had to fight past it and find Marluxia before he could launch a surprise attack. But all of a sudden, the flowers became blurry, and my breathing slowed down. Everything turned to white and faded away. I was in a strange world that was completely empty. My hands and feet were tied down, even though there was no rope. "Where am I?" I asked myself, listening to the echo of my voice while trying to break free. "Someone get me out of here! Help!" Even though no one was around, I was hoping someone on the outside would hear me and set me free. I looked in front of me to see a cloud of darkness expanding around me and taking over the empty space. It wasn't long before it completely engulfed me and transported me.

The next thing I knew, I was back in Castle Oblivion looking straight at Axel. The look on his face when he saw me made me feel like a bullet was shot through my heart. "You wouldn't attack Misuki now would you Axel?" I stood there, afraid to move a single inch. Marluxia had a hand on my head, daring Axel to attack him. He was using me as a shield, knowing Axel didn't have it in him to attack me.

Axel began chuckling. "You honestly think I won't attack you because she's your shield? Sorry, but that won't work." Did he really mean that? Was he really going to hurt me in order to get to Marluxia? When I looked at him again, I saw him give me a small smile that assured me everything was going to be okay.

"Is that right?" Marluxia asked. "Did you hear that…Riku?" Did he just say Riku?! I looked behind Axel and saw Riku standing there. Words couldn't express how I felt seeing him. I fought hard to hold my tears back. "Axel says, he's willing to harm Misuki to get me. You won't let that happen will you?" Riku glared at Axel and pointed his keyblade directly at him.

Axel chuckled. "You can't seriously believe Marluxia, can you?"

"After I take care of you, I'll go after him next. I'll protect Misuki no matter what!" Hearing his voice made it harder to fight back my tears. He's made that promise to me a hundred times.

"Riku, you may not see it, but we're more alike than you might think. I'd really rather not fight you." After he said that, he spread his arms out and summoned his chakrams in a fiery blaze. "But I can't dishonor the Organization now can I?!" He went after Riku in a blaze, barely missing Riku by just a second.

I wanted to stop the battle and take Riku home. But at this point, my heart was torn. I thought I had feelings for Axel because he tampered with my memories. But…then I realized that…those feelings were real; they were how I really felt about Axel. They were the same feelings I had for Riku as well. What was I going to do? Both were fighting for the same purpose: to protect me from the other. I had to find a way to make them work with each other since both of their goals were to make sure I was safe from the Organization. While all of these thoughts were floating around in my head, I felt Marluxia nudge me closer to him as he whispered, "Come with me…now." I didn't know what he was planning to do with me, but I know it wasn't going to be good. "If you value Axel's and Riku's lives, you'll come with me immediately." He made it so I didn't have a choice. I went with him as Riku and Axel continued fighting.

We came to a large part of the hallway where a giant door was. It was decorated with stone vines with flowers circling around it. I turned and stared down the hallway we came from, hoping Axel wouldn't hurt Riku too much. I felt the same for Riku. I tried to lock on Riku's heart but it was blocked out for some reason. As I stared down the hallway, I felt Marluxia's hands grab me and pin me to the wall next to the door. I tried to get free, but he squeezed my wrists tighter and tighter until I couldn't feel the tips of my fingers. "Axel won't last against Riku." He said with a demented smile and eyes of pure evil. "Which means I have to quickly erase all of your memories until you are nothing but a mindless puppet for me to control."

I couldn't believe what was happening! He was going to wipe my memories all over again. "You're not going to get away with this!" I exclaimed still trying to break his grip.

"And why is that?" he asked, knowing I had no idea how I was going to get myself out of this.

"Because she has me to protect her." I looked over Marluxia's shoulder to see Riku coming to my rescue. "Now I'm only going to say this once: let go of her now!"

"Riku, you made it!" I exclaimed. Even though I was happy on the outside, I was uneasy on the inside. If Riku is here, that meant Axel was destroyed. Or was he? If Axel was destroyed, I would've sensed is presence fading away. But it wasn't; his essence was still very clear. He escaped, but made it seem like he was destroyed.

Marluxia released his grip on me and turned to Riku. "So, you managed to defeat Axel." He chuckled. "It makes no difference. Soon, Misuki will be my puppet, and I'll use her to take over Organization XIII."

"Not if I can stop it!" Riku charged in to save me, but Lexaeus appeared in front of us and stopped Riku in his tracks. I tried to go in and save him, but Marluxia pulled me away and into the doorway. "Misuki, no!" I heard Riku yell my name.

"Riku save me!" I yelled back. The doors closed and separated Riku and me. Once again I was alone with Marluxia. I looked around and saw him floating in the air. I called my keyblade to my side, ready to fight him.

"Soon the Darkness will consume you." Marluxia said, letting his true power release from him. "Here in this world…of nothingness!" In a flash of light, Marluxia transformed himself into a giant machine with long scythe legs. I stared in awe at it, trying to figure out how I was going to defeat him in this form. "It's over for you, Misuki!" he exclaimed even more deranged than before. "Give in to the Darkness, and surrender your heart!" He came at me with the scythes slashing one after the other. I managed to dodge the first few, but the second to last blow threw me to the ground. I was able to get back up and launch my keyblade at Marluxia head on. Lucky for me, it was a direct hit in his chest, which caused him serious damage.

"You'll never win, Marluxia!" I exclaimed, charging him head on. I caught my keyblade in midair, and slashed all the spots I sensed were his weak points. He went down after the last blow and lost his balance. "Darkness cannot exist without Light! As long as there's Light in my heart, I will never fade into the Darkness!" I jumped in the air, and delivered the final blow on Marluxia. As I attacked him, flower pedals danced around us. The pedals came from Marluxia himself as he began disappearing into nothing. He screamed in pain and tried to fight it back, but the more he did, the faster he was fading away. Once he was gone, I sent my keyblade away and walked off. Before I opened the door, I sensed Lexaeus fading away. Once his presence was completely gone, I opened the door and ran into Riku's arms. "You did it, Riku! You beat him!"

He took me in his arms and hugged me tightly. "Are you hurt?" he asked me.

I shook my head. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Marluxia was tough, but I beat him." After I said that, I felt my breathing slow down and my legs gave out. My body began to shut down and before I knew it, I found myself collapsing to the ground.

I was floating in the air, able to see the wind change colors around me and whisper in my ear. I looked in front of me to see the wind come together and form into a figure. "It's been a long time, Misuki." Tears fell from my eyes when the figure became clear to see. It was hard for me to say anything at first because I was so happy. "You do remember me, don't you?"

I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes, and forced myself to speak. "Of course I remember you! Ansem the Wise!" I exclaimed, leaning my body forward so I could float over and hug him. Being in his arms made me think of when he first found me and I cried in his lap. He held me the same way, and I felt like everything would be okay now. "I thought I'd never see you again." I told him, releasing him from my hug of death.

"As did I, my dear, but I'm afraid that this is only a dream." When he said that, my expression changed from excited to confused and somewhat depressed. When he saw my smile fade away, he pet me on the head and said, "But we will meet once again soon enough."

"But when?" I asked with anticipation. There was so much I wanted to ask him, if he knew. "How soon will we meet? What about Riku? Do you know where he is?"

"Calm down, child." He said while laughing. Maybe his laughing was a way to cheer me up and ease my nerves. "I am an illusion from your own mind." He explained. "This means I don't know any more than you do. But all your questions will be answered in time. Let your heart guide you." In a flash of light, Ansem vanished, leaving me to float in yet another empty abyss. But suddenly, I began dropping from the sky into an endless void, screaming as loud as my lungs allowed me to.

* * *

><p>Author's Note<p>

Me: Okay, can someone get me down from here?

Riku: *takes off blindfold* I'm coming Misuki.

Axel: No I'll get her!

Riku: Take a hike, you stalker! I said i'd get it!

Axel: Who are you calling a stalker!?

Riku: Who do you think? Need I re-direct you back to all of the games involving you appearing everywhere?

Me: Thanks Lex.

*Axel and Riku stare with saddness*

Lexaeus: No problem.

Me: Wanna sign us off here?

Lexaeus: *nods* Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember to R&R and stay tuned for the next chapter. Until next time. *gives a small smile and a wink*

Me: Bye everyone!


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four:**

I woke up gasping and sweating from my intense hallucination. I looked around me and found myself in a bed that was strange to me. "Misuki, are you alright?" I heard a tiny voice ask me. I looked up to see two little chipmunks standing on top of my chest. I realized they were the same chipmunks I saw before my fight with Vexen. "Chip…Dale? What are you doing here?" Their names suddenly came to me from nowhere.

They jumped excitedly for some reason chanting, "She remembers us! She remembers us!"

"Guys, take it easy." I strained, sitting up in the bed. "I'm still in a little pain." It was then that I noticed I was covered in bandages. "Who put these bandages on me?" I asked. Chip and Dale shook their heads, not seeming to know either. I rubbed my eyes and wiped them clear of sleep. When I opened my eyes, I was attacked by a yellow dog that kept licking my face. I tried to push him off, but he was too big. "Get off of me, boy! Down!" Once he heard that, he stopped licking me and sat quietly next to the bed, looking at me with happy eyes. "Whose dog is this?" I asked, wiping the drool from my face.

"That's Pluto!" Chip exclaimed as Dale jumped on Pluto's head. "He's the King's loyal companion! He delivers messages all around the kingdom!"

"You don't say." I held my hand out and gestured Pluto to come to me. He walked over to me and let me pet him. "So, why are you here, boy? Did King Mickey send you?" He nodded his head, then grabbed something from under my bed. When he finally emerged, he had a brown package that he held in his mouth, and set it on my lap. "I wonder what this is." I mumbled to myself. I tore the packaging apart to find all new traveling clothes that looked hand-stitched.

"What is it?" Dale asked.

"They're…clothes. The king sent me new clothes."

"How do you know it's from the King?" Chip asked.

"Because I found this letter. Isn't this his seal?" I let Chip and Dale look at the letter to see the emblem on it for themselves. When they confirmed that I was telling the truth, they jumped in joy.

"What does the letter say, Misuki?" They asked together.

"Hold on already. I have to open it first." I laughed at how excited they were about getting a message from the King. Truthfully, I was just as excited. But I didn't know why I wasn't as happy as those two. Maybe it has something to do with everything I went through. I don't know. Anyway, I opened the letter and read the message:

_Dear Misuki,_

_Hope you're doin' alright. I had the mice_

_make you some new clothes. Thought_

_you'd need them for your journey finding Ansem and Riku._

_Tell Chip and Dale I said hi and that we'll see_

_Each other soon._

_Mickey_

I sighed after I finished reading the letter. "At least with this, we know the King's okay."

"Yeah." Chip and Dale agreed.

I looked at the clothes again to see what they were. It was a magenta jumpsuit where the legs ended around the thighs, purple arm bands that started at the forearm. The glove part of it had it where the fingers stuck out. Two belts that could wrap around each other in the waist area and a pair of knee high socks and beige boots. The design of the outfit was amazing. There was also a head light blue head band that tied around my forehead. "Wait, he said mice made the outfit." I re-read the note again.

"That's right. The mice make all the clothes in the castle." Dale explained. "They're very talented."

"Well, let's try them on." I got out of the bed and began undressing. The second I did, Chip, Dale and Pluto quickly shut their eyes. It didn't really take me that long to get dressed. When I was fully dressed, I looked in the mirror and examined myself. The outfit fit like a glove. "Okay, you guys can open your eyes now." When the boys saw me, they were absolutely speechless. "Well, say something." I told them.

"Misuki, you look amazing!" Chip exclaimed.

I laughed while twirling around. "Thanks guys. I'm going to write the king a letter." I walked over my desk and began writing a thank-you letter back to the king. When I was finished, I gave it to Pluto. "Here Pluto, take this to King Mickey for me." Pluto nodded, and left the room.

"What do we do now, Misuki?" Dale asked.

That was a good question. I really didn't know at this point. The Organization is our number one priority, but I also want to find the guy who kept sneaking into Castle Oblivion. I wanted to know who he was and if he knew anything about Ansem or Riku. That's when I sensed something was wrong. "We're not alone." I whispered loud enough for the chipmunk brothers to hear me.

"What do you mean?" Dale asked.

"You guys stay here while I check it out." I instructed them. Instead of following orders, they jumped onto my shoulders.

"We're not leaving you again." Chip said.

"Yeah. We want to be there for you." Dale continued.

"Fine, but when I say take cover, you take cover got it?" I told them.

They both nodded in agreement and went with me to investigate downstairs. I slowly opened the door and peaked out in the hallway. I crept out of the room and silently closed the door, and looked around. It wasn't long before I realized I was in the same mansion I came to when I fought Vexen. It was dusty and looked as if it was going to fall apart at any moment. I looked down in the foyer, and saw the Organization imposter and DiZ. They looked up and saw me the second I noticed them. "What are you two doing here?" I jumped down in front of them and summoned my keyblade.

"You still intend to fight us after we saved you?" DiZ asked. His words made me flinch and lower my keyblade without realizing it until the last minute. "After your battle, you collapsed to the ground and was on the brink of death. But luckily we were able to save you in time." Listening to the story of what happened after my fight with Marluxia, I wondered what I was doing. As I contemplated what DiZ had told me, he continued on. "We almost lost you when another member of Organization XIII ambushed us and used his powers of illusion." That sounded a lot like Zexion.

Wait, there was something not right with his words. "Hang on, you didn't defeat Zexion!" I exclaimed. "If you did, I would've sensed it. I would've sensed his presence fading."

"You don't belong in their world anymore." He explained again. "Once you regained your memory, and your name, their hold over you broke; the connection was severed for good."

After he explained everything, it didn't feel right to attack them. I sent my keyblade away and just stared at them. "I'll let you go…for now." I said softly, grinding my teeth in frustration. I didn't want to let them walk away after everything they did, but I had no other choice.

"Misuki what do you think you're doing?" Chip asked. "This is your chance! You can take them out!"

"No I can't." I said. "After hearing everything that they did for me, what kind of person would I be if I attacked them like this?" I clenched my fists tighter and tighter wanting to punch both of them right there. "For now, I have to let them go. Do you hear that DiZ? I'll let you go this time. But the next time we cross paths, know that I will attack you without hesitation."

DiZ looked at me and smiled for some odd reason. "I understand." Was all he said.

Before I left, there was something I wanted to ask him. "Hey before I go, I want to know something. Do you maybe know a boy with spiky silver hair that goes by the name of Riku?"

"I'm afraid I don't" he answered me.

"What about a man with long blonde hair and a matching goatee? His name is Ansem the Wise." He shook his head. I was back to square one all over again.

"But I do know where you can find the King." He spoke after he looked at my disappointed face. "Open a path for her." The cloaked man did as DiZ requested, and opened a vortex for me. "Go through here, and you'll end up in the middle of Hollow Bastion. You have my word." Normally, I wouldn't believe him even if he gave me his word. But maybe he had some connection with the King. The only way for me to know for sure was to go and ask him in person.

"If you say so. Right now, I have no choice but to believe you." I walked toward the vortex and stared into it. "Remember what I said, DiZ. Once I step into this portal, as soon as we meet again, I will fight you. And I won't…hold anything back." DiZ nodded his head in agreement to my terms and watched as I walked through and went straight to Hollow Bastion.

When I arrived, I was in a place that looked too familiar to me. "What is this place?" I asked myself walking around. The place was in ruins, rusted from the passing years. As I looked around, I noticed a door on the side that led to a long hallway. The moment I stepped in, visions began popping into my head with every step I took. I saw myself as a little girl, running around these halls laughing and enjoying life. Then there was a man that picked me up in his arms and spun me around in the air. 'Ansem the Wise?' The memories made my head suddenly pound and pound like a drum, triggering a small earthquake in my head. No matter how much I clutched my head, it wouldn't stop. Soon, everything faded away and I found myself in the same hallway, but this one was fixed up and in one piece. "What's going on around here?" I asked myself, continuing down the hall.

"You're looking into the past." I turned around to see Riku standing behind me with a smile and his hands in his pockets.

The sight of him just made me want to break down and cry my eyes out. "Riku, is it really you?" I asked, running towards him and touching his face.

"Who else were you expecting?" he laughed.

Looking at him made me realize that this was too good to be true; literally. "This is another hallucination isn't it?" My expression shifted from excited back to disappointment in two seconds, when Riku nodded his head and looked at me with a sorry expression in his eyes. "I'm sorry to crush your hopes like that." He said.

I shook my head. "It's okay. But what is this place?"

"I thought you regained all of your memories. This is the castle Ansem the Wise lived in; your home." The moment he said that, it all came back to me and everything was clear again.

"This is the past." I pointed out.

"Bingo. You're dreaming about the past, and what your life was like before all of this happened…when this place was known as Radiant Garden." I looked at Riku when he said that name.

'Radiant Garden?' I thought to myself. 'What happened to this place to give it the name Hollow Bastion?' I put the thought out of my head when Riku took me down to the end of the hallway to a large door that was slightly cracked. I opened it and saw a memory I knew I was never going to forget. It was the day Ansem taught me to speak English. I had so much fun learning different words and sentences that my joyous face would always make Ansem laugh."This was the first time Ansem taught me English. I didn't think I could be any happier than I was on that day." I found myself smiling at what was the best moment in my life. It was like I didn't have a care in the world. "But you know what would've made it way better?" I looked up at Riku and took his hand. "If I had met you. If you were there, it would've been absolutely perfect."

Riku chuckled. "I can't argue with that. But Misuki…what would you think of me if I was keeping a horrible secret from you?" My smile faded quickly. What did he mean by that? I didn't understand. "If I wasn't who you thought I was. Would you still have feelings for me?"

I pushed Riku out of the room and let the door shut us out as I grabbed him and hugged him tightly. "Don't say stupid things like that you dummy. You're too good of a person to have a horrible secret." Riku hugged me back and held me close to him. "Why would a kind-hearted person like you keep a horrible secret?"

"Because…I'm not who you think I am." Not understanding what he meant, I looked up at him with a curious look. What I saw made chills run down my spine. He wasn't Riku anymore! His face shifted into a face I recognized all too well. It was the Ansem imposter I met the day Ansem the Wise disappeared. "Give me your power, Misuki. Let me have…your heart." He reached into me and let the Darkness surround me and capture my heart. I screamed for help, but no one came for me. That's when everything faded away and the stress that my body was under, dissolved instantly.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Okay, reading this chapter over again I got a little confused at the end so I made the necessary corrections to make it less so. Sorry if it threw anyone off ^^; Anyway, hope you still enjoyed it.

Please R&R. Many thanks ^^


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five:**

I found myself falling down an abyss that seemed endless. Voices whispered all around me. They blended together, so I couldn't separate them. All I remember was feeling light as a feather and letting the air caress me until I hit the bottom. That's when I woke up back in the ruined hallway, with Chip and Dale trying to wake me up. "Chip, Dale, what happened to me?" I got up and rubbed my head, trying to remember the last three minutes.

"You just fell down and passed out the moment we entered the hall." Chip answered, stepping back and giving me some room to stand up. "You sure you're gonna be okay?" he asked.

I was still trying to remember why I was scared, and what happened. Then it hit me. I saw the Ansem imposter filling the room with Darkness, and drowning me in it. That's what gave me the instinct that we had to get out of there immediately. I snatched up Chip and Dale in my hands and ran out of the passage and back outside. I wanted to stop and look at it one more time, but my heart told me to just keep going and not to look back. Once we were back outside, I stopped to catch my breath.

I felt Chip and Dale wiggle out of my hand and set themselves free from my grip. "Misuki, what happened back there?" Dale asked.

"Yeah, what's the big deal grabbing us like that without a warning?"

"I'm sorry guys. Just…something told me to escape from that place. It was…strange." I really couldn't explain my dream to those two. They'd just worry about me and think I'm crazy or something. That's when I began sensing someone nearby. It was hard to make out, but it was an excuse to get as far away from this place as possible. "Guys, I sense someone not too far from here."

"Who is it?" Chip asked.

"I can't really tell, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out." The chipmunk brothers jumped onto my shoulders and held on the minute I took off running. I headed out of the ruined area and back into town toward the person I was picking up. 'This presence…it feels so familiar.' I thought to myself. I ran through a place everyone called The Borough, and into the part of Hollow Bastion that was crystallized for some strange reason. Was this because of the Nobodies? 'It's close. I can feel it.' When I finally hit the source, my mouth dropped out of excitement that I tried hard not to scream. "King Mickey over here!" He turned around and jumped the second he saw me.

"Misuki…Chip…Dale! How'd you find me?" he asked as I ran up and hugged him.

"I was able to sense your presence." I told him. "So I ran as fast as I could to find you." After explaining myself, I put him down and then got serious about the situation. "Your majesty, what's going on around here? Why is Hollow Bastion like this?"

"The Organization have made their move." He answered me, with a gloomy look on his face. "They won't stop as long as there are hearts to collect."

"Then they'll come after me." I finished for him. I looked out to see the horror they made out of everything. It broke my heart, seeing the destruction Organization XIII was making. "What do we do your majesty?" I looked at him, hoping he had the answer.

"I don't really know." He sighed, hanging his head in shame. "All I know is we can't give up. We have to keep fighting in order to restore the world back to the way it was."

I nodded my head in agreement when something caught my attention. "King Mickey, look up there!" I pointed to the top of a crystal monument to see a figure appear out of the Darkness. No doubt, it was Organization XIII. The man took off his hood to reveal Xemnas. Seeing him made my blood boil to the point where I couldn't control my emotions, and my power began leaking out of me. "It's Xemnas. What's he doing here?"

"Hold on, I know who that is!" I looked at King Mickey, confused by this outburst. "Now I remember, that's Xeanort, Ansem's apprentice. The leader of Organization XIII is Xeanort's Nobody!"

Did he just say Xeanort? I went through my memories of my time spent living with Ansem the Wise, and remembered the quiet Xeanort, who did nothing but work and try to please Ansem the Wise. But there was no way it was him. It just couldn't be. Before I knew it, the King took off after him with great speed. "Your majesty, wait!"

"Hurry Misuki, go after him!" Chip exclaimed. I ran after him, wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery.

'There's no way Xeanort is Xemnas.' That's what I kept repeating to myself in my head as I followed King Mickey further into the outskirts of Hollow Bastion. How could Organization XIII destroy the peace and beauty of this world? It wasn't fair to the people who lived here and had nothing to do with anything that was happening. Everything was spiraling out of control. It wasn't long before they finally stopped at a cliff. I ran up to the King as he confronted Xemnas.

"Xeanort!" King Mickey exclaimed, trying to get some answers out of Xemnas.

"How long as it been since I abandoned that name?" he spoke out loud.

I stepped up and tried to get the truth out of him. "Xemnas, are you really Xeanort?" I asked him. I felt my hands clench into a fist as my blood began boiling again. "Answer me now!" I shouted out in anger.

"My dear Misuki," he chuckled. "you've finally figured it out. I was hoping you'd learn the truth soon."

"Shut up!" I shouted, summoning my keyblade. "You're going to give me some straight answers or I'll put an end to you here and now! If you know so much, then tell me where Riku is!"

"If you want to know where Riku is, perhaps you should ask your King." What did he mean by that? I looked from Xemnas to King Mickey.

"Stop!" the King ran after Xemnas through a portal he made. I tried following behind, but it disappeared before I could jump in. Once they were gone, I stood there in shock, wondering what I was going to do now.

"Looks like you've got your hands full with this one." I heard a voice that was familiar to me.

I turned around to see Axel standing a few feet behind me. "Axel, what are you doing here?" I asked, running up to him.

"I was here just to see how far the Organization's plans have progressed, but seeing you here caught me by surprise."

Looking at Axel brought a lot of memories back for some reason. I couldn't explain it, but it was like I was sitting on that island with Riku. But why was I thinking of Riku as I stared at Axel? I didn't understand that. "Are you on the run or something?" I asked him.

"You could say that." He answered like it was no big deal. "I also wanted to warn you to be careful." I looked at him. "The Organization is sending out the Nobodies to capture you again. You shouldn't walk around by yourself." Hearing his words made me shake a little.

"That means I don't have much time left." I said to myself. "I have to find Ansem and Riku. If I can find them, maybe we can stand a chance. Axel, can you help me?"

"Misuki, are you nuts!?" Chip asked, jumping wildly on my left shoulder. "Have you forgotten he is part of the Organization?"

"Yeah, how can you trust him?" Dale asked.

"Don't worry guys, he's a good guy." I assured them. "He was the one who helped me escape from the Organization." I looked at Axel and winked at him. He smiled back at me and then looked back at Chip and Dale.

They gave him a disapproving look. "Okay, we'll believe you this time." Chip said. "But if you hurt Misuki even once, you're gonna get it!" Chip tried to act tough for my sake and threw punches left and right at Axel.

Axel just stood there, trying not to laugh. "Don't worry little guys. I won't hurt her. But I do need to get you out of here." His attitude changed from playing around to serious in a matter of seconds.

"Why?" I asked, getting a strange feeling that he was somewhat uncomfortable standing here now.

"Hurry and jump in. It'll take you to Twilight Town." He opened a portal directly behind me and slowly backed me into it.

As I was about to jump in, a voice echoed around us. "Axel."

I looked over Axel's shoulder to see Saix appear in front of him. I got a glimpse of him before Axel shoved me into the vortex and I was taken straight to Twilight Town. I landed in a dark alley, so it took a while to get up due to the hard landing on a pile of trash. "That was Saix!" I exclaimed, standing up and running out in the marketplace. "Axel's in danger! We have to find a way to help him." While I said that, I stopped and thought for a second. How was I going to help him? I was too far from him, and who knows what Saix will do to him? Thinking about that almost made me cry, but I fought it back and just sat down somewhere to think up a plan.

"Are you worried, Misuki?" Dale asked me, jumping from my shoulder to my lap.

I couldn't take them looking at me the way they did. They felt sorry for me, and were afraid for me. I petted both of them on the head and smiled at them. "Don't worry guys, I'll be okay." I told them. "I'm just rushing into this situation. The best thing I can do is just stop, take a deep breath and think about what my next move is going to be. Our number one priority is to stop Organization XIII from completing Kingdom Hearts. Once we do that, then it'll be easier to find Riku and Ansem the Wise."

"That's a good strategy." Someone mocked me. I quickly turned around to see Demyx, number IX of the Organization. "Too bad you'll never see it through."

I quickly jumped up and pulled out my keyblade. The chipmunk brothers quickly scurried into my pockets and hid. "What are you doing here?" I asked, ready to strike in case he attacked.

"The boss man told me to retrieve you. Even though this is supposed to be my day off."

I clenched the keyblade tighter, preparing to run as fast as I can. "Unfortunately, I have no intension of going back to the Organization. So I'm afraid you came here for nothing."

Demyx chuckled for a while. I should've run away at that moment, but the fear I had inside of me prevented me from moving an inch. I was actually struggling to move my feet and force my body forward and get away from him. While I was struggling, he stopped laughing. His expression changed from joking around to serious and kind of scary. "I never said I was giving you a choice." He took a step toward me, and that was my trigger to back away quickly and bolt out of there as quickly as I could.

"We have to find a place to hide!" I exclaimed, ducking into a small alleyway that was so dark I couldn't see the back of my hand in front of my face. I stuck myself against the wall and blended into the shadows so Demyx wouldn't find me. "I think we gave him the slip." I whispered.

"Now what?" Dale asked, shaking like a leaf. I wish I could answer him, but I was asking that same question to myself.

While pondering inside my mind, I felt my body get sucked into the Darkness and fell through an abyss. But really, I was pulled in by a hand. I turned my head to see whose hand it was and it was none other than Demyx. Before I could say anything, we were back in Castle Oblivion, standing in the Alter of Naught. "Let go of me!" I shouted, trying to break Demyx's grip.

"You've given us quite a lot of trouble trying to track you down. "I looked up to see Saix approaching us. "Now that we have you, we're not letting you out of our sights for even a second." He then pointed to Kingdom Hearts and revealed its glory as he called it. "Soon, Kingdom Hearts will be complete, and then we will become whole once again."

"Problem is, you need my heart and the hearts I saved to complete it! And there's no way I'll ever give them up to you!"

"We have our own methods to extract the hearts from you." That statement actually made me shake a little. I wasn't looking forward to seeing this method they had to take my heart. It sounded like they weren't planning to just put me in a cage and let the Nobodies loose on me. It wouldn't have worked anyway, because I'd beat all of them to a pulp in seconds. I quickly hid my fear as Saix approached me. "I admire your bravery." He said, lifting up my chin and forcing me to look right at him. This would've been a great opportunity to spit in his face, but it really wasn't worth it to me. Also…that's just too good for someone like him. When I take him down, I want him to grovel at my feet and beg for his life. "However I can see that you still look down on me and doubt my abilities."

"Maybe just a little." I smirked.

"Well that will change very soon." He said finally letting go of my face. I didn't know what he meant, but the fear in me vanished. It was because I knew Axel would bust me out the same way he did before. "How do you think we should punish her for leaving us…Axel?" He asked. I looked over to see Axel appear out of the shadows with a forced smile.

He chuckled and said, "Contain her in the dungeon until the right time."

"Axel, what are you doing? Why are you suddenly going along with what they say?" I looked into his eyes to see if I could find any trace of the betrayal he showed to them before, but there was nothing. He was actually serious. "I don't believe you!" I shouted, trying to break free of Demyx's grip. "You're suddenly switching sides on me!? I actually trusted you!"

"There's no point in yelling." Demyx said. "Axel's finally back on the home team. He's not going to help you this time."

"That's right." Saix took over. "Take her to the dungeon. The Superior will deal with her when the time is right."

With Saix's demand, Demyx began dragging me away. As he did, my eyes never left Axel until I was thrown into a giant cell. I tried to run for the open portal, but it closed before I could even put my hand through. The second it closed, I punched the wall in frustration.


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**

I sat against the wall, letting all my rage out in my head. "Misuki, are you okay?" Chip and Dale asked, looking worried.

"I can't believe he would betray me." I said softly while burying my lead in my lap, concealing my tears. "I opened up to him. I gave him my trust and faith." I told Axel everything about my life. In my heart, I felt that I could trust Axel with everything. He was always there for me whenever I was sad and confused after joining the Organization. He always held out his hand to me and made me feel like I had no reason to cry. "There's no helping it." I said. "From this moment on, Axel is officially my enemy. I'll take him down along with all the others."

"Don't worry, Misuki. The next time we see that jerk, we'll teach him a lesson." Chip said.

"Yeah, we got your back!"

Their dedication to me made me laugh a little. They were jumping around and punching the air around them until Dale tripped on his feet and fell on top of Chip, causing both of them to fall. That made me laugh even harder. "Thanks guys. You're the best friends a girl could ask for."

"I thought that was Riku's job." Chip pointed out.

For some reason, that made me re-think of the horrible vision I had in the ruins of Ansem's mansion. It was the vision of Riku turning into the Ansem imposter. It played in my head about five times before everything became clear. 'There's no way that Riku is…' As I was contemplating my thoughts, two people appeared in front of us. I looked up to see Xaldin and Luxord standing outside the prison and staring at me. Chip and Dale scurried back into my pocket and hid. Once they were out of sight, I stood up and stared back at them. "What do you want?"

"The Superior would like to see you." Xaldin said. "Step through that Darkness void and you'll come out by us." I hesitated for a while, refusing to follow their orders, but thinking about it, I really didn't have any choice. I could go through and be near them and then strike then down with my keyblade, but I remembered that I have never seen Xaldin or Luxord fight before. But from what I've heard from Axel, they're both pretty strong. So I couldn't defeat them on my own. So I did what they told me to do and went through the portal to stand in between them. Once I was with them, Luxord opened another portal that probably was going to take us to the Alter of Naught where Xemnas spends most of his time. The moment we arrived, Xemnas looked in my direction. Xaldin and Luxord held my shoulders so I wouldn't run away. It didn't feel like they were holding me tight, but they were. I flinched my shoulder just an inch and I could barely move it.

"So what are going to do with me now?" I asked, proving that I wasn't afraid of him or his methods. "You just gonna keep me around like a decoration?"

Xemnas took two steps toward me and chuckled a little. "I had such high hopes for you in the Organization. You were loyal to us and did just as we ordered."

"That's because you filled my head with lies and gave me false hopes!" I exclaimed, letting my anger show. "When I was exposed to the truth, I got out before you could corrupt my memories any further!"

"Don't get upset." He talked like he did nothing wrong. That just made me even more angry that he would act like everything was fine and that we were friends who just had a rough patch with each other, trying to make things right again. He had his nerve! "I thought you wanted us to achieve our goal and obtain hearts."

"Not if it meant letting loose the Heartless to collect them for you! You used the Heartless to attack innocent people and take their hearts. Then you'd send the Nobodies or me out to destroy the Heartless, so that the captive heart would go off to Kingdom Hearts! That just makes you pathetic!"

"Well it doesn't matter anymore." He said, turning back to Kingdom Hearts. "The time has almost come for when your heart will be harvested and offered to Kingdom Hearts. Then our dream will be realized."

Without me realizing it, I was using all my force and strength to get out of Xaldin and Luxord's grip and attack Xemnas. He was pushing my buttons on purpose! "Give it up, Xeanort! There's no way I'm going to let you take my heart, or anyone else's for that matter! You betrayed Ansem all those years ago! I'll never forgive you for that! You will pay for that!"

The mention of his old name and Ansem the Wise made Xemnas laugh. "It is amusing how you put your faith in an old fool like Ansem the Wise. After what he almost did to you."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You were too young to remember, but while you were playing out in the garden, Ansem was working on a project to further study the heart and the great power it holds. Since yours was pure and new, he was planning to use you as a test subject. But he decided not to once he found out the risks it would cause to you."

There was no way any of what he said was true. Ansem would never have thought to use me as an experiment. Not after all the kind things he's done for me. "You're a liar! You expect me to believe that Ansem saw me as a possible human experiment!? How dare you accuse him of such an act!"

"Very well. If you refuse to believe me, then it can't be helped. Take her back to the dungeon."

I wasn't going to just let Xemnas get away with his lie. I had to do something. While Xaldin and Luxord dragged me away, I fought against them to go after Xemnas and take him down right then and there. I was almost free until I felt Xaldin punch me in the stomach, causing me to almost fall to the ground and black out. The next thing I knew, I woke up back in the cell with Chip and Dale trying to wake me up. "Misuki, Misuki, are you okay? Please open your eyes!"

"Chip…Dale…" I lifted my hand and petted both of them on the head with my finger. Their fur was so soft. They took my finger and hugged it as they began crying. "It's…going to be okay." I sat up, holding both of them in my hand and holding them close to me. Listening to them cry made me cry as well. "We'll get out of here. I promise. There's no way I'll let them take my heart."

"Psst. Misuki, over here." I heard a soft whisper coming from behind me. I quickly wiped my tears away and hid Chip and Dale in my pocket. When I turned around, I saw Axel peeking out of a Darkness void. "Come on, I'll get you out of here." He held his hand out to me like I was going to go with him just like that.

"You expect me to go with you after your betrayal? You've got some nerve." I huffed at him. I held in my laughter at this situation. I cannot believe Axel expects me to go with him like nothing happened. He has a lot of explaining to do. "Why are you suddenly helping me? I thought you switched back to their side."

He stepped out of the void and approached me. He gripped my shoulders and began explaining himself. "Saix threatened me after I pushed you into the void. He said that if I had did or said anything that defended you, he'd destroy you. I couldn't let him do that." He pulled me into him and held me tighter than he ever did. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

I looked up at him and actually saw a trace of sadness and pain in his eyes. He was acting the same way I was when I found out Ansem disappeared. "I'm sorry, Axel." I whispered, gripping the back of his coat. "I said horrible things to you."

"It's okay, Misuki. You don't need to apologize." We stayed like this for a long while. Being in his arms made me all of a sudden think about Riku and how he would hold me. It was the exact same feeling. Axel then pushed away slightly to look at me. "We better hurry. I have to get you out of here." He took my hand and led me into the portal. The minute I stepped through, something strange happened. It was hard to describe, but it was a strange white light that surrounded us and in no time consumed us. "Misuki!" I heard Axel call my name, but I couldn't answer him.

A flash of light hit me, causing me to quickly wake up. I was in an empty void, curious of what that light was. "Axel? Axel!" I looked around and called Axel's name until I saw him fighting a bunch of Nobodies on his own.

"Misuki, hurry up and help Axel!" I heard Chip tell me.

I summoned my keyblade and ran to him. "Already on it." Just as Axel was about to be struck by a Nobody, I jumped in between them and blocked its attack, and slashed it before it could strike again. After it was defeated, I went over and helped Axel up. "Are you okay?" I asked, helping him stand up.

"This is probably the ten thousandth time you've saved my life." He forced a joke out for my sake. I could tell he didn't want me to be worried about him or afraid of our situation.

I let out a soft chuckle. "What can I say? You've done the same for me many times. I don't have any other choice, do I?" I let him use me to regain his balance and stand on his own two feet. Once he was back on his feet, he grabbed his chakrams and went back into action. I quickly joined in, knocking out every Nobody that tried to come at me. Fighting alongside Axel made me think about how we both lived in difference worlds. He lives in Darkness, while I live in Light. But this never stopped us from staying together. It's because of our differences that we complete each other. Another reason why I can't be away from Axel…was because he reminded me so much of Riku. There was a little bit of Riku inside Axel and he doesn't even know it. They both want to protect me, and they've sacrificed a lot to do so. Maybe when all of this is over, I can get them together and show the similarities between them. I suddenly realized we were surrounded by Nobodies. They just kept coming! "Axel, what do we do? They won't stay down!"

"Yeah, they're persistent little things, I'll give them that." He chuckled. "I think I liked them better when they were on my side."

"Now don't tell me you're having second thoughts again." I teased, smiling at him.

"No way. I can handle these punks." He said. "Check this out." He jumped in the middle of the Nobodies and summoned all of his power into his chakrams. The level of power he generated was absolutely amazing. At the same time I was a little concerned if his body could handle all that power. But it seemed he was having no problems. Then a flash of light surrounded us. I quickly shut my eyes and tried not to look directly into it.

The flash faded faster than it appeared. When I opened my eyes, the Nobodies were gone. Axel's plan actually worked. "Axel you did it! That was ama…" I looked over to see Axel lying on the ground, his body slowly dissipating. "Axel!" I ran over to him to see how badly he was hurt. Seeing him up close, he was in worse condition than I thought. "It can't be. You're…fading away."

"Well… that's what happens when you…put your whole being into an attack." He breathed.

I grabbed his hand as tightly as I could and held it close to me. "Axel please, you have to stay alive! I don't want to lose you!" I couldn't control the tears falling down my face. Watching him fade away made me feel as if I was losing apart of myself. "I'm scared. I don't want to do this by myself. I need you by my side."

I felt him wipe several tears from my face and pull my hair from in front of my face. I looked at him to see his smile. "Don't waste your tears on me." He said softly. "I'm not the one you really want anyway. It's Riku." What he just said stunned me. "I tried to play his role and love you the best way I could. But…seeing as I don't have a heart, I was only fooling myself. Loving you isn't my role to play. That part belongs to Riku. Too bad it took me so long to realize it."

"You are like Riku in a way, Axel." I told him, coiling my fingers with his. "Both of you want to protect me and keep me safe. You both want to see me smile. That's why both of you are important to me. I don't want to lose either of you."

"I'm sorry, Misuki. I don't think I'm going to see this battle through. You have to continue on without me." He lifted his other hand and opened a new path. "Through there you'll find Riku. Tell him I'm sorry for everything." With those final words, Axel finally disappeared. It was hard to move at first, but I had to for Axel.

"Misuki, are you going to be okay?" Dale asked.

I wiped the last bit of tears from my eyes and answered, "Don't worry guys. I'll be fine. We have to finish this once and for all. But first…we have to see Riku." I ran straight for the portal and found myself in a strange corridor. I continued on forward, hoping to run into Riku. Instead I ended up running into Saix and Xaldin.

"Misuki, there you are." He said, with two giant Nobodies behind him and Xaldin. "I'm afraid leaving is not an option. I'll take you to see Riku." Did he think I was an idiot? I wasn't just going to willing go with him just because he said he'd take me to Riku. I knew it was a lie anyway. "You don't want that?" he asked after seeing me take a step backwards and summoning my keyblade.

"Don't get me wrong." I spoke out. "Nothing would make me happier than to see Riku again. But not if you're going to be around to ruin everything!"

"How precious." Xaldin said.

"Indeed it is. If I had a heart, this would be where I'd die of laughter." After he said that, Xaldin took action and attacked me. I used my keyblade to block three of his spears from piercing me. But the second I did, Xaldin came from behind me and got me in a choke hold, grabbing my arm and forcing me to drop my keyblade. The force of his grip was like nothing I've ever felt. My whole arm felt like it was about to just fall off. "Now to extract the hearts you've collected."

Just as Xaldin was about to take the hearts from my body, I noticed that one of the Nobodies suddenly collapsed and fell to the ground. "I guess Zexion wasn't able to stand against you." I heard Saix say. After the Nobody vanished, I saw a man in an Organization XIII coat, holding a keyblade in the shape of a demon wing. His presence felt familiar, until it finally hit me.

"Riku! Help me!" I yelled at him. The moment I said that, Riku fired some sort of Darkness beam at Saix. Unfortunately, Saix did a back flip and dodged it with no problem. The second he landed, Riku pushed him against the wall and put a grip on him. Just when he thought he had Saix where he wanted him, Saix opened a portal from behind him and vanished inside of it.

That was my chance to save myself. While Xaldin was distracted, I used my free hand to elbow him in the stomach and forced him to loosen his grip and let me go. Once I was free I picked up my keyblade and ran to Riku's side. "Thanks for distracting him for me. Now let's get this over with!" I charged at Xaldin, with Riku following close behind me.

"Where's the fun in this?" I heard Xaldin say as he flew in the air and struck me with his spears. The powerful current they created pushed me back into the wall. I quickly got up, dodging another attack just in time. "Why not give up?" Xaldin laughed, throwing attacks this way and that. "You'll never lay a finger on me!"

He was right. No matter how close we were able to get to him, we weren't able to land a single hit on him. 'There's got to be an opening somewhere.' I thought to myself. I rushed over to Riku and blocked Xaldin's attacks, while helping him off the ground. "Riku, I need you to distract him for me." He looked at me confused. "If we don't find his weakness, we're done for. Create a diversion while I try to read his moves. Will you do this for me?" I saw him nod his head hesitantly but willing to do it. "Thank you." I said, facing Xaldin. "Let's get him." We both rushed forward and made it look as if we were going to simply rush him, when really I quietly snuck behind him and fought my way around his defenses. I saw that Riku had landed some fatal blows that made him drop his guard several times. The next moment was when I was going to hit him. Riku used Xaldin's wind attacks against him and struck him in the stomach while I struck in the back, ending the battle and giving us victory. I quickly went over towards Riku and watched as Xaldin screamed in agony and vanished away. "Alright, my plan worked! I knew it would!" I looked over to see Riku opening a portal. Before he did I grabbed his arm and held onto him. "Riku wait." I slowly let go of him and lifted his hood. The sight of his appearance shocked me. He had the face of the Ansem imposter that almost took my heart a long time ago. "So…my vision was right. You have…changed." He didn't say anything to me. I took advantage of the silence and ran into his arms. "Riku, it's really you. I finally found you at last." Even though it wasn't him physically, I could fell the warmth and love from his heart.

"You're not...afraid of me?" he asked. It was definitely his voice. Hearing his voice made me cry even harder than before.

"Of course not." I said behind the tears. "It's still you on the inside. That's all that matters." I held him tighter and closer to me. Even though it wasn't him physically, it still felt like Riku. "I've been looking for you everywhere. I've missed you so much." We held each other for a very long time until I decided to let go so I could get some answers from him. "Riku, how did you turn into this?" I asked him.

He took a deep breath and began to explain. "As you already know, this is the Heartless version of Ansem's apprentice, Xeanort."

"This guy…is Xeanort?" I repeated.

"Was Xeanort." He corrected. "According to Ansem, some of the people who worked for him followed Xeanort in order to gain true knowledge of the heart. When they passed through, something happened that changed them. Their beings separated. A Nobody and a Heartless were formed."

"I remember being told that a Heartless is formed from the Darkness of one's heart. If they sense Darkness in another heart, they go after it."

"Yes. Once a person turns into a Heartless, the form it left becomes an empty shell called a Nobody; a being that isn't meant to exist because they don't have hearts." I remembered Saix explaining this to me when I first met him.

"Wait a minute, when King Mickey saw Xemnas, he said something about him being the Nobody of Xeanort."

"He's right. Xemnas became the leader of Organization XIII."

"I have one more question. This guy, that…you are now. If he's supposed to be Xeanort's Heartless, why did he say he was Ansem when I met him?" I asked.

"It was because he tried to ruin Ansem's reputation." Riku explained. He stopped and stared at me. "You know what? I think that's a question Xemnas needs to answer himself." I didn't really understand him for a moment, but I went along with it. "There isn't much time left. We have to find DiZ."

"DiZ? You mean that guy who had his face covered by a red cloth?" I asked.

"Yes, he's Ansem the Wise." I froze when Riku answered. DiZ was really Ansem. All this time I was trying to find a trace of him, when he was close to me this entire time. Somehow I knew there was something strange about DiZ but I never could figure it out. This was the reason. "Are you going to sit there with that weird look on your face, or are you going to help stop the Organization?" I looked over to see that Riku was already half way into a portal that he opened.

"Hey wait for me!" I ran over and followed him into the portal. It was weird, but in our situation, we were still joking around with each other and smiling. I guess we really did have a connection. We made each other laugh. Maybe it was…destiny?


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**

Every room in the castle all looked the same. It was as if we were running around in circles. "Misuki, can you sense Ansem the Wise anywhere?" Riku asked me as we both ran through millions of Nobodies.

Once we cleared them out I managed to lock onto Ansem. "It's very faint, but I have him. He's too far right now. But if we keep going this way, we'll get to him." I answered.

"What about the King? Can you sense him?"

"I'm afraid not. I don't know where he is. But I'm sure if we find Ansem the Wise, we'll find King Mickey."

"Then let's not give up. We have to keep going." There was that smile again. Whenever Riku smiled, I smiled right along with him.

We ran into a square shaped room and just continued on. As we did, I had an uneasy feeling and just stopped without warning. "There's something here." I said softly. Riku moved closer to me and got ready to defend me from whatever came out from the shadows.

"Do you know what it is?" he asked me.

"No, but the atmosphere is very heavy here." We stood back to back, waiting for a hint of movement. It was quiet until my instincts kicked in and noticed something flying toward Riku's blind spot. "Riku look out!" I jumped in front of the object and blocked it with my blade. "Are you alright?" I asked, looking over my back to make sure he wasn't hurt.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Thanks to you." He said, placing one hand on my shoulder.

"Misuki, Riku, up there!" Chip pointed to the top of a pillar where I saw Xigbar emerge from the Darkness, resting his gun on his shoulder.

He looked down at us and just smiled. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? You found your true ally. Way to go, Umixe."

"That's not my name anymore! My name is Misuki!" I exclaimed.

"Well excuse me. Didn't mean to get you upset." I knew he was just toying with me, and I did my best not to give him a reaction but I couldn't help myself. My anger took over my actions. It was as if I had no control of what came out of my mouth.

"It's too late for that!" I told him. "Now I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget."

"I'll fight by your side too, Misuki. I'll make him pay for insulting you." Riku stood by me and got ready to fight.

Xigbar just stood there and laughed at us. "This is certainly a big problem." He said. "Two against one really isn't fair at all. What do you say we…even the odds a bit?"

'What is he talking about?' I asked myself. Xigbar always spoke in riddles, so it was hard for me to understand him and his way of thinking. But what was happening right now was just confusing to the fullest extent of my brain.

"Misuki, the floor!" I heard Chip shout from shock.

I looked down to see a portal open beneath my feet and suck me in. "Riku help me!" I extended my arm and reached out to Riku.

I felt him quickly grab me and try to pull me out. But it was no use. The force of the Darkness was just too strong that it forced me to let go of Riku and sink in. "Riku!" I screamed his name until I hit the very bottom. I landed right on my stomach, which concerned me because Chip and Dale could've been hurt. "Chip, Dale, are you two okay?" I asked them, taking them out of my pockets.

"Don't worry about us, Misuki." Chip said, dusting himself off.

"Yeah, we're A-Okay." Dale smiled and gave a thumbs up.

"That's good." I said as I put them back in my pockets. "Now all we've got to do is find a way out of here and get back to Riku." I looked around for an exit, but there was nothing. "This place is giving me the creeps." I said, trying to stop myself from shivering with fear.

"Aww what's the matter Umixe? You afraid of the dark?" I turned back around to see Demyx standing there with a smug look on his face. "Too bad your hero isn't here to protect you."

"The only one who'll need protecting is you! Someone's going to have to protect you from me!" I summoned my keyblade and prepared myself.

Demyx laughed and summoned his sitar. "You know, I'm supposed to be kicking back and enjoying the day. But I guess I can have a little fun. I'll just sleep even longer." He laughed again as he released a powerful geyser from under me.

Luckily I jumped just before it activated. "Is that the best you can do?" I taunted. "If it is, then this is going to be over very quickly!" I did a rush attack and landed a blow straight in his stomach, almost bringing him to his knees. The second he got back up, I retreated and got back into attack mode. He played a tune that released bubbles that exploded around me. I tried to block one by hitting it, but the impact just made it explode straight into my face, causing me to fly into another one and finally onto the ground. I struggled to get back up until I saw a number of geysers coming towards me, and I had to avoid it. I rolled over on all fours and catapulted myself over the geysers and right at Demyx where I managed to land a critical blow. "Had enough yet?" I asked him, stepping back to prepare for whatever he was planning.

I heard him let out a small chuckle. "Don't act tough now." He said. "You pretend to be brave and strong…when in reality…you're afraid of us." His words made me freeze in my skin. "We sense it inside of you. When you're alone with one of us, you begin to shake in the fear of your heart being taken."

"Hey you! You don't know anything about Misuki!" Chip exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Dale jumped in. "She's not afraid of you!"

"He's right." I said under my breath, holding back my tears. "I am afraid."

"That's not true, Misuki." Chip said.

"Yes it is. I hide behind my fear when I fight. Ever since I first received my keyblade, I've been hiding behind it. Mainly because it was the only thing I could count on to protect me."

"You see? She pretends to be brave and fight for her friends, when she's really fighting to protect herself."

"But as of right now…I'm no longer fighting with fear." I held my keyblade close to me, transmitting all of my spirit into it. "Now that I'm finally reunited with Riku, I have no reason to be afraid anymore. The moment I held him in my arms again our bond grew stronger than anything in the world! I can hear his voice telling me he's always with me. That…drives my heart to fight!" In a blur, I struck one final blow to Demyx and finally ended the battle. I watched as he dropped to his knees and screamed as he began to fade away. Once he was gone, a door opened in front of us.

"Misuki, are you there?" I heard Riku's voice call out to me. I ran through the door to see him standing there, relieved that I was okay. "There you are. Are you okay?" he asked as he ran and grasped me in his arms.

"I'm okay, Riku. I promise." I said, struggling to get out of his death grip.

"I was so worried. I was scared that you wouldn't come out alive."

"It was thanks to you that I'm okay." I told him. "I heard your heart call to me. Your voice was all the strength I needed to come out victorious." I took his hand in mine and suddenly felt the bond that connected our hearts. I tapped into his emotions and made all his worries fade away. "Can you feel our hearts touching? They're in perfect harmony with each other. Together we can finish this. You just have to believe in me, just as I believe in you."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go finish off Organization XIII!"

As we kept moving, Ansem's presence grew stronger and stronger. That's also when I began sensing the King as well. They were together in one area. There was no way we could stop now…not while we're so close to ending this war once and for all. We came to a room that made my heart almost completely stop. It was some sort of grave for Nobodies. I stayed as close to Riku as I could. "Riku…what is this place?" I asked him.

"If I remember, this is Hall of Remembrance." He said. "It's the final resting place of Organization XIII."

The moment he said that, I went up to one of the graves to see if what he said was the truth. I read the words that were engraved on it. It said, 'The Silent Hero'. This was Lexaeus' resting place. "All of the fallen members of Organization XIII are here?"

"Yes." Riku answered me. He then looked away and said, "Looks like that's the way out."

I only heard half of what he said because there was one grave I had to look at just once to bring back memories. 'The Flurry of Dancing Flames'; Axel. I stared at it and watched the memories flash through my eyes. I remember his smile he wore every time he saw me even the slightest upset. His voice rang in my head over and over, making tears fall from my eyes. 'Axel, I need to see you one last time.' I prayed in my head. 'Please…let me hear your voice.' As I closed my eyes and imagined Axel holding me in his arms, I felt Riku's hand on my shoulder. He looked at me and smiled, letting me know that everything was going to be okay.

"We have to keep moving." He told me as he helped me off the floor. "Now, we have to find a way to get through that barrier." We both stared at the barrier blocking the only way out of this room.

"Hold on a minute…look at this, Riku." I walked over to a grave with a glowing gateway. "The Gambler…of Fate." I read aloud. "That's Luxord. But why is this one glowing?"

"It must lead to somewhere." Riku went to take a closer look. "There's another one glowing over there." I looked over to see another gateway.

Even from where I was standing, I could read the engraving. "The Luna Divider. That one belongs to Saix!" I exclaimed.

"We should split up then." Riku suggested. "I'll take this Luxord guy, and you take Saix."

Before he left to go through the gateway I grabbed his arm and stopped him. "I don't want to be away from you again!" That outburst made me replay Demyx's words about me being afraid and hiding behind fear. "It's true…I am afraid." I said softly. "I thought I'd have more courage to fight the moment I found you. But I was wrong. Even with you by my side, I'm still hiding behind fear."

Riku looked at me with sad eyes, as if he could feel my pain. The next thing I knew I was tightly wrapped in his arms. "Hiding behind fear isn't a crime." He whispered to me. "Look at me. I entered Darkness because I relied on it to fight my battles for me. Because of my choice, I turned into this." He released me and looked down at himself. "But even with the Darkness a part of me, I'll do anything to protect you." He placed his hand on top of my head and kissed my forehead. "We'll take this one step at a time. We'll stand by each other…no matter what."

I held Riku's other hand and looked up at him. "Yes." I said, facing Luxord's gateway.


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight:**

When we stepped into the gateway, we saw a light beaming straight into Kingdom Hearts. At that point I felt a sharp pain in my chest that made me lose my balance. I fell to my knees when Riku ran to my side. "Misuki, are you in pain?"

"It came from nowhere." I answered, grabbing his shoulders and using them to lift myself up. "What is that?" I asked, looking back up at the beam. Riku followed my gaze to the mysterious beam.

"It's the King and DiZ…I mean…Ansem the Wise." When he said that I was relieved and happy to know that Ansem wasn't too far from where we were now.

"Master Ansem. Please wait a little longer." I whispered to myself. "I'm almost there."

"Misuki, we can't stop." Riku said, continuing on. I followed him until I sensed someone coming.

I turned around to see Luxord standing behind us. The second he appeared, Riku jumped in front of me, wielding his keyblade. "If you want her, you'll have to get through me!" he exclaimed.

Luxord was silent as he snapped his fingers, summoning giant cards to surround me. They spun faster and faster until everything was a complete blur. The next thing I knew, I found myself floating yet again in the Realm of Darkness with a screen showing the battle between Luxord and Riku. "Riku, be careful!" I shouted, hoping he could hear me. But it was no use. My voice wasn't able to reach him because we were too far away from each other. All I could do was watch and hope Riku could out smart Luxord at his own game. I saw Luxord surround Riku with cards, attacking him countlessly. There were several times when Riku made Luxord drop his guard and get some good hits in, but it looked as if Riku was going to lose.

"Misuki will Riku be okay?" Chip asked, rising from the depths of my pocket.

I didn't look at him or Dale because I was afraid to take my eyes off of Riku. "He has to make it." I said. "We have to put our faith in him. We have to believe he can win." I pictured in my head Riku bringing Luxord down to his knees and finishing him off once and for all. Once I left my imagination world, I saw Luxord disappearing and Riku standing over him. My vision came true. Riku succeeded. As I stared at him, I found everything fading away, with Riku standing right there in front of me. He ran to me and checked to make sure I was okay. "I knew you could do it, Riku." I said.

"It was thanks to your voice. I heard you call out to me near the end, and I gained the power to end it all."

"Hey guys, quit standing around!" Chip called out to us. "We gotta get out of here!" He and Dale headed back to the Hall of Remembrance, with Riku and I following behind.

"There's one last battle we need to fight to get through that barrier." I said, staring at Saix's gateway. This battle was going to be a lot harder than the others we've fought. But Riku and I were ready for whatever was waiting for us. I was willing to go through anything to get to Ansem the Wise. Nothing was going to stop me from seeing him again. We entered the gateway, this time the chipmunk brothers behind us. They stayed near the exit so they wouldn't get hurt.

Saix was staring up at Kingdom Hearts. "Can you hear the hearts, Umixe? They're crying for you to set them free."

"Stop calling her that!" Riku defended me and got between me and Saix, even though Saix was a good distance away from me. "She's no longer apart of your group! Her name is Misuki. Got it?"

I watched Saix take out his Berserker and get ready to fight. "Different name, same fate." With those words, he violently waved his weapon and made a giant gust of wind blow in our direction. Riku tried to block it, but instead got lifted off of his feet and flown past me and back toward the exit. He got up and ran over to me, but was blocked by an invisible barrier.

"Misuki!" he called out my name while trying to break through with no success.

I turned from Riku to face Saix and fight. With my keyblade in hand, I got ready to defend myself and take him down no matter what. His eyes were like a crazed animal about to hunt and kill his prey. With a loud growl he came at me in the blink of an eye and attacked from below, throwing me into the air. Then he jumped above me and slammed me down into the ground. I struggled to get back up and land a blow anywhere on him. But he kept coming at me with the same attack. That's when I realized he was using the power of Kingdom Hearts to fuel his Berserker and come at me with force. 'I have to somehow use his power against him.' After that thought passed through my mind, I felt something take over me. Around me, I heard the sound of a beating heart that was in sync with mine. The sound took over all other sounds in the room. The emotions that came with it were filled with precious memories of childish behavior and eternal love. These were victims who were attacked by the Heartless. They were lending me the strength of their hearts. This allowed me to block Saix's attacks and at one point steal his weapon. I felt the surge of power that came from it, and began going crazy. I lunged at Saix, constantly hitting him over and over and smacking him to the ground. "It's over Saix! You no longer have control over me!" The last blow came from the power of my keyblade. I let it fly from hand and land a critical hit on Saix. Finally he fell to the ground the moment my keyblade returned to me.

As he faded away, he looked to Kingdom Hearts and muttered his last words. "Kingdom Hearts…where is my…heart?" It wasn't long before there was nothing left of him. As I walked toward Riku, the barrier disappeared, allowing me to run to Riku and hug him as tightly as I could. I wasn't happy because Saix was defeated. I was happy…no… excited that at last I was going to see Ansem again after being away from him for so long.

When we stepped out of the gateway, the entrance at the end of the hall was open for us to go through. "Ansem the Wise is through there." Riku said, holding my hand.

The thought of finally seeing Ansem's face after all these years almost overwhelmed me to the point of tears. But I fought them back because I wanted him to see me smiling by Riku's side. "What're we waiting for? Let's get going." We headed through and found ourselves on a balcony that was just a few levels below the Alter of Naught. In front of us, I saw the man I thought I'd never see again. "Ansem the Wise, your majesty!" Ansem was holding a giant laser machine that was sending a beam to Kingdom Hearts. I looked at it to see sparks flying from it, and knew something was wrong. But that feeling vanished the moment I saw Ansem's face.

They both looked over their shoulders and were happy to see us. The chipmunks jumped onto King Mickey's shoulders and were ecstatic. "We finally found you, your majesty!" they exclaimed.

I walked past the King and stared at Ansem. "I finally found you." I said smiling.

He smiled back at me. "It's been a long time, Misuki." He said to me. Hearing his voice triggered tears to fall from my eyes. "You've grown into a strong and very beautiful young woman."

"Ansem, you have to get away from that machine!" I heard the King yell.

I looked from Ansem to the machine. It was shaking and shooting sparks everywhere, indicating that it was about to explode. It was clear that Ansem knew the situation, but…why wasn't he getting away from the machine? "Ansem, you have to let go of that thing before it's too late!" I exclaimed.

"Misuki, you must complete your journey and stop Organization XIII." He told me. Why was he worried about me when he was the one in danger?

After looking into his eyes and reading his heart, I found out his intentions. The thought of really losing Ansem to where I'd never see him again brought me to tears of grief and pain. I wiped them from my face and tried to stop him. "No Ansem, you can't!" I took a few steps toward him before Riku grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.

"His heart's decided." He said, seeing the pain in my eyes.

"But, Riku…" Before I could get a word in, Xemnas appeared in front of all of us.

"I was wondering…who would dare interfere with my Kingdom Hearts. And look. Here you all are. How fortunate for me." Seeing the smug look on his face triggered my blood to boil to temperatures possibly beyond the heat of the sun. My instincts told me to strike him then and there, but I knew that if I did, it would put me and everyone else in danger. So I stood by and let him get away with his insults for the time being. "Ansem the Wise…you look pathetic."

Those were the words that caused me to flinch a little bit and ball my hand into a fist while I fought hard to hold myself back. "Have your laugh." Ansem the Wise responded. "I deserve as much for failing to see you for the fool that you are."

Xemnas chuckled. "Only a fool would be your apprentice. After all, none of this would've been possible without you. You are the source of all Heartless. It was your research that inspired me to go further than you ever dared. I'm carrying on what you yourself began, and I'm creating a brand new world…one heart at a time. I thought you'd praise me. But all you ever do is hold me back." Now I was to the point of no return. It was getting to the point where I couldn't control the movement of my body. I was only seconds away from stepping in and shutting him up once and for all. "I understand though. Unlike me, you have a heart, and you're powerless to control it. Consumed, by the jealously you feel toward the student, who surpassed you."

"Stop it!" Before I knew it, I was standing in between Xemnas and Ansem, giving Xemnas an evil glare, daring him to take a step towards me. "I'm not going to sit back and let you insult Ansem the Wise anymore! If you say one more bad thing about him," I held out my hand and let my keyblade appear in my hand, then extended it out to Xemnas. "I'll end you right here!"

There was silence for a brief moment until I saw Xemnas' smile and heard him let out a small chuckle. "It's amusing that she'll put her life on the line for you." He addressed Ansem. "Especially after what you thought about doing to her." When he said that, I thought back to the first time he brought that up about Ansem wanting to use me as an experiment. I refused to believe that Ansem would think about doing something like that to me, and I still denied it. "Why don't you tell her the truth? I think it would be best for her to hear it from you."

I turned to Ansem, who suddenly became filled with guilt and sadness. "It is true, Misuki." He explained. "There was a time where I wanted to dive deeper into my research of the heart...that I considered using you as a test subject. But I resisted the temptation. After all you've been through, and after seeing so much joy inside of you while you lived with me, I just couldn't find it in myself to do it. Please forgive me."

"I don't blame you." I finally said. It was hard to find the words to say in this situation. "None of that matters to me. What matters is that you gave me a home when no one else did. That's all I wanted after I lost my family and my village. Every time I was around you, I never saw a single trace of Darkness in your heart. It was as kind as it is now. The intentions you had to do experiments on me don't matter. They mean nothing."

"I'm glad to hear that, Misuki. Those words will help my heart rest easy after this." He then turned his attention toward Riku. "Riku, you know what to do. Take caution; anything can happen." Finally, he turned to King Mickey. "King Mickey, my friend…forgive me. Farewell." The moment he said those final words, the machine lit up and created a mass explosion. I felt Riku's arms hold me back from the explosion. As I watched Ansem give up his life for us, I felt my heart begin to shatter piece by piece. All the memories of Ansem the Wise flashed in front of me as the tears flowed from my face.

After everything died down, there were small sparks of light flying towards us until they blinded us. Soon after that, everything blurred out.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

*sniff sniff* This chapter almost made me cry TT~TT *sniff sniff*

Excuse me while I get a tissue. Please R&R. Stay tuned.


	30. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine:**

A few short minutes later, I woke up on the ground not entirely sure what just occurred. Suddenly, the flashbacks jolted back into my head. Ansem the Wise was gone…forever. He sacrificed himself to stop the Organization's plans at all costs. That's when I saw Riku passed out a few feet away. I ran to his side, surprised at what I saw. I don't know how it happened, but somehow Riku was back to his regular self again. "Riku, are you okay?" I asked him. He looked around for a while sort of confused.

"Ansem did say 'Anything could happen'." The King said, running over to us with Chip and Dale on his shoulders.

I looked from him back to Riku. "Hey Riku, you gonna take that off?" I referred to the blindfold he had over his eyes. He slowly took hold of it and removed it. Seeing his beautiful aqua colored eyes again brought a smile on my face. "It's you; the real you." I said. He looked at me, still a little clueless. Maybe it was because he was still making sure that this was real; that he was no longer apart of the Darkness. "Riku, why'd you have that on in the first place?" I asked him.

Riku and I turned to face King Mickey. "His eyes couldn't lie."

"Lie?" I didn't know what he meant by that. "So who were you trying to fool? Huh?" I asked Riku.

"Myself." He answered in a low voice.

I saw that he was upset and guilty because he thought he made me worry about him. He was afraid his actions caused me pain. But that wasn't it at all. I was just confused. "Riku, why did you try to do so much on your own?" I took a hold of his hand and made him look directly into my eyes. "You have friends right beside you that'll stand by you no matter what." Riku looked at all of us and smiled, then placed his hand over mine.

"I guess I thought I was protecting you." He said.

"Misuki…Riku, up there!" King Mickey pointed to the sky where we saw Kingdom Hearts falling apart. All of the individual hearts were swarming it and going crazy.

I tried to capture some of the hearts and save them from going into the Darkness by concentrating my heart on them. None of them would come to me. "What do we do Riku?" I asked him.

"We have to destroy Xemnas. He's the Organizations last survivor." After he said that, Riku ripped off the Organization XIII coat he was wearing, revealing under it a vest and baggy blue jeans. Seeing him as himself at last put a smile on my face. I followed him and the others to the Alter of Naught, where we saw Xemnas staring at the remains of Kingdom Hearts.

"Oh my Kingdom Hearts…ruined." His hands were up in the air, devastated that his plans were destroyed but not really showing it. "Now…I'll have to start all over again." Finally he turned to us and tried to command us. "Warriors of the keyblade…go forth. And bring me more hearts."

Riku, King Mickey and I all summoned our keyblades and pointed them at Xemnas. My keyblade was levitating in front of me, waiting for my command to strike him. As we surrounded him with our keyblades, we all answered, "No!" to him very loudly.

"Denizens of Light. Answer me this: why do you hate the Darkness?" he asked us.

As I thought about his question, King Mickey answered. "Ah, we don't hate it. It's just that it's kinda…scary. But the world is made of both Light and Darkness. One can't exist without the other." He stopped for a while and thought about it. "Kinda makes you wonder why we are afraid of the dark."

"It's because of who's lurking inside of it." Riku stepped in and took over. I couldn't take my eyes off him the entire time he spoke.

My attention went straight back to Xemnas the moment he began to speak again. "Then allow me another question. You accept Darkness, yet choose to live in the Light. So why is it that you loathe us who teeter on the edge of nothing? We who were turned away by both Light and Darkness…never given a choice."

"It's simple." I decided to step in because this question was so easy for me myself to answer on account of all the things he did to me. "Because you mess with our friends and those we care about."

"That may be. However…what other choice, might we have had?"

I didn't know why I was surprised, but I was almost in shock at the fact that he didn't deny my comment. "Save it, Xemnas. You're Nobodies…you don't even exist."

He chuckled. "Very good. You don't miss a thing." He said. "I cannot feel…sorrow…no matter what misery befalls the worlds. No matter what you think, how you feel…or how you exist." He raised his hands in the air and caused the space around us to evaporate in a blinding stream of light.

The next moment when I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in a strange place, in front of a giant tower and Xemnas right in front of me. "Riku!" I shouted.

"I am the only one here with you…Misuki." I turned to see Xemnas fly toward me with two red beams and struck me head on. I was pushed back, but was able to prevent myself from falling by performing a one handed back flip and landing on my feet again.

'I just realized…' I began thinking to myself as I dodged and attacked Xemnas. '…this is the first time I've seen Xemnas' true power. I've only felt it from being in the same room as him, but never knew how strong he was in combat.' Xemnas disappeared into the Darkness and attacked me from above. I fell to the ground, with my keyblade landing right beside me just within my reach. At first I struggled to get up, but the moment I saw Xemnas coming at me again, I quickly grabbed my keyblade, jumped up to my feet and blocked his attack swiftly and used the force of my attack to push him back and make him fall flat on his face. He was able to get up easier than I did, but I went on and tried to get in another blow. I controlled my keyblade with my heart and commanded it to launch right at Xemnas. Just as the keyblade was on target, Xemnas used his powers to conjure a shield around him, and then jumped to the top of the tower. I chased after him, picking up enough speed to run up the wall and catch him. Once I was halfway up, I saw Xemnas jump down and stared at me face to face. The moment our eyes met I struck him head on, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground head first.

The battle went on for what seemed like an eternity. 'If this goes on too long, I might not last much longer.' I found myself out of breath, and my strength was slowly depleting. 'One more attack should finish him for good.' It was going to take a lot of energy, but I had no other choice. I took my keyblade in hand and connected with it, giving it all of my energy to the point where it began glowing neon purple. "I can do this. I have to…for my friends, and Ansem the Wise!" I rushed Xemnas in a flash of light, and struck the finishing blow at him without him knowing what happened.

After I struck him, the glow around my keyblade dimmed down while Xemnas' body faded away along with the space. As it faded, I heard Riku call out to me. "Misuki, where are you?!" Finally I found myself back at the Alter of Naught, where Riku ran to me and made sure I was okay. He then took me in his arms and held me close. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"I've told you before, Riku…I'm stronger than I look." We both found ourselves laughing as I released myself from his hug.

"Misuki, Riku!" We looked over to King Mickey and saw him pointing to Kingdom Hearts. When we looked up, Xemnas was surrounded by hearts, trying to put Kingdom Hearts together again.

"Hear me Kingdom Hearts! It seems we must begin anew." The atmosphere around us became heavy and uneasy. It was hard keeping my balance, but I stayed strong and stood my ground. "Ah, but know this: I will give to you as many hearts as it takes. Mark my words! You can no more be complete without me than I without you. Heed me, Kingdom Hearts! Lend me your power, so that we may be complete!" I suddenly felt a shocking pain in my chest that made me grasp onto Riku for balance. He held onto me without looking away from Xemnas. I knew where this pain was coming from…it was coming from Kingdom Hearts. The amount of power it was releasing was affecting me because of the connection I had with it. "The power to erase the fools that hinder us."

"Xemnas! No!" King Mickey shouted. Xemnas was taking this too far. He had to be stopped.

"Hearts quivering with hatred…hearts burning with rage…" The moment he said those words, I suddenly began to feel intense heat against my heart. There was no doubt that Kingdom Hearts was in extreme pain and wanted nothing more than to be free.

"Xemnas, stop it!" I shouted as tears of pain fell from my face.

He just kept on pushing it to the maximum limit. "…hearts scarred with envy."

"You'll never get away with this!" Riku shouted, holding me closer to him.

"That fool Ansem said the heart's true nature was beyond his understanding." Xemnas continued. "But it's not beyond mine! Hearts are the source of all power!"

After that, Kingdom Hearts exploded with a flash of light. When we opened our eyes and looked up at Kingdom Hearts, Xemnas was gone, along with the pain that I felt not too long ago. I let go of Riku and looked around. "He's gone!"

"We're not gonna let him get away now!" the King exclaimed.

I agreed with him one hundred percent. "Hear that, Xemnas! We'll find you!"

"Guys, look over there!" Riku pointed to a giant door that appeared in front of us.

"What's happening?" I asked, staring amazingly at this strange door.

"Kingdom Hearts." King Mickey said. "It gave us this this doorway, because it wants us to be the guardians of its destiny."

"Let's go, Xemnas must be inside. Misuki." I stood next to Riku and looked at him. "Once we go in, there's no turning back. Are you ready?"

"Of course I am." I took a hold of his hand, twining my fingers with his. "As long as we're together, we can defeat any obstacle that gets in our way." Riku, King Mickey and I stepped forward and used our keyblades to open the door. We held them out and sent a beam of light shooting from our keyblaeds and into the keyhole of the door. The beam then disappeared and opened the door. "Get ready Xemnas. It all ends here!"

King Mickey, Riku and I stepped through the door, cautious of every step we took. Once we were fully inside, Xemnas' presence passed through me. I looked up to see him on the top of the castle. "So, it seems your hearts have led you to obliteration. Perhaps it doesn't pay to be too loyal to one's heart. I will have to be sure and remember that." After he spoke, there were giant buildings that came at us.

We were able to dodge it, but the debris that it created in its path blew us back. "King Mickey, no!" I stood to my feet to see the King, Chip and Dale back behind the door as it closed, separating us for the moment. Now…it was just me and Riku.

"Come on, Misuki!" Riku exclaimed, grasping his keyblade tightly in his hand. "We can handle this on our own!"

I nodded, following close behind him. As we got closer and closer to Xemnas, buildings began sprouting out from the ground. At first it didn't look like there was nothing we could do. But I wasn't going to quit…not when I've come so far. "Leave this to me!" I sped up, passing Riku in the blink of an eye. I spun my keyblade at blinding speed, easily cutting through the layer of buildings that were lined up. By the time I made my way to the end of the line, they all collapsed and vanished in black smoke.

"That was incredible, Misuki!" Riku complimented.

"Thanks, but it's not over yet. Keep on your guard!" As I pressed my back against his, Nobodies began appearing.


	31. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty:**

The Nobodies swarmed around us, not giving us any other choice than to fight. I was able to destroy a few hundred of them while Riku took care of his portion. After hours of fighting, we finally got all of them. I ran straight to Riku's side and made sure he was okay. He only had several minor cuts that could be healed quickly and easily. I could tell by the way he looked at me that he didn't want me to worry about his injuries until the battle was over.

We went on and kept pushing forward, and leapt straight to the castle. When we got there, there was some sort of Energy Core that blocked our way. "It looks like a dead end." I said.

"Well we're gonna have to find a way to get through." I turned to face Riku when more Nobodies began appearing. "Misuki, you concentrate on getting through this Energy Core while I take care of these freaks!"

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" I asked.

"Don't worry about me. Just focus on breaking through."

"But…Riku…" I didn't feel right about leaving Riku alone to fight all of those Nobodies by himself. I wanted to be beside him and fight too.

"It's okay, Misuki." He assured me. "As long as I'm here, I promise…to protect you."

Those words, sent a shock through my body. Something inside me said to trust his words and go with his plan. I nodded my head and focused all of my energy on the Core. The more I hit it, the faster it pumped; like when a person runs faster, and their heart beats faster and faster. After hitting it several times with quick blows, it began glowing bright red. I peeked over my shoulder to see how Riku was doing. He wasn't having any trouble from what I saw. 'Hang in there, Riku.' I thought. 'I'll get through this thing. Just hold on for a few more minutes.' I gathered all the energy I could and continued striking the Core harder and with more force. Finally, it broke down and opened. "Riku, let's go!" Once it was open, the Nobodies disappeared and allowed us to pass safely through.

The moment we stepped in, we saw Xemnas…or what we thought was Xemnas. He was sitting on a throne, wearing a layer of armor and wielding a giant sword in his hand.

"Are you ready, Misuki?" Riku asked me.

I nodded. "You bet. Let's finish this." We rushed Xemnas together, and attacked him at the same time. In the beginning, we were able to get in a few hits until later in the battle when he waved his sword and pushed us back. Riku was able to keep his balance while I was pushed to the ground. He looked back at me, but I assured him I was okay. We couldn't let our guard down for a second. I got right back up on my feet and threw my keyblade at him, controlling where it was going. Just as it was in range of attack, Xemnas swung his sword again, throwing my keyblade back at me, then firing a red beam at me. I was completely frozen until Riku jumped in front of me and blocked the attack with his keyblade.

"You okay?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I assured him, summoning my keyblade from the floor to my hand. "We almost got him! Stay on guard Riku!"

"You got it!" We rushed him one more time, and used all we had to deliver a critical blow. After we hit him, the room faded around us. Once again we were back at the Alter of Naught where King Mickey, Chip and Dale were waiting for us.

"You're back!" Chip and Dale jumped onto my shoulders and hugged my neck.

We watched Xemnas fall to his knees, grasping his chest. "I need…more rage." He breathed. "I need…more…hearts."

"You just don't get it, do you Xemnas." I spoke up and took a few steps toward him. But I still stayed close to Riku and the others. "The heart is full of emotions. Surely…you must remember."

As he began disappearing, he spoke his final words. "Unfortunately, I don't." It was hard to believe the battle was finally over. It felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.

"Gosh, you all did great!" King Mickey said.

"Yeah, you guys are awesome!" Chip and Dale jumped from my shoulders and began to dance around. While they celebrated, I noticed Riku's heart was uneasy. I walked over to try and talk to him.

"Riku, you're coming back with us…right?" I asked.

"I had given in to the Darkness." His back was turned to me, but I could still feel the pain in his eyes. "How am I going to face everyone?"

The second he met my eyes, I grabbed his face and stretched his mouth into a smile. "With a big smile on your face!" He removed my hands from his face and began to laugh.

The platform we were standing on began shaking. "We got to get out of here!" I said.

"I'll open a path." Riku lifted his hand, trying to conjure up a portal so we could escape. But nothing happened, which was a surprise to him but not to me...nor the rest of us.

I walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm and lowering it down. "Riku, you don't belong in the dark realm anymore. Your heart is back in the Light where it should be." That's when I began thinking of how we could get out of this world. "Your majesty, how are we going to get home?" He thought for a while and came up with nothing. As everyone pondered, I felt a sensation pass through me again. It was a gust of cold wind that made me turn around. As I turned all the way around, there was a voice that whispered softly in my ears. 'Don't worry, I'll help you guys.' Once the voice vanished a portal appeared, which made everyone else turn around.

Chip and Dale ran up and stared into the portal. King Mickey was right behind them. "Hey, where'd this come from?" Chip asked.

"Hmm, you know, I'm not sure." He answered. "But we'd better go through if we wanna go home." That triggered Chip and Dale to run through, with King Mickey right behind them.

I walked up and stood a few inches from where the King was standing. Riku walked up next to me and stopped. "Thank you…Axel." I said.

"Axel?" Riku repeated the name and looked at me like I had gone insane. He looked up again to see a ghostly image of Axel standing in front of us.

He looked at me, smiling. "No problem." He said, winking at me. "See, I told you I'd always be here for you. No matter what."

I laughed at him because even in this form he was still the same as he was alive. Axel then looked from me to Riku and walked passed me. He and Riku were staring at each other, eye to eye. In the middle of the awkward silence, Axel offered his hand out to Riku, waiting for Riku to shake his hand. "Call a truce pal?"

Riku stared at Axel's hand for a while before putting on a small smile and shaking his hand. "Truce." Watching them shake hands made me laugh to the point where my stomach was hurting. They both looked at me confused. "What's so funny, Misuki?" Riku asked me as he let go of Axel's hand.

I let myself take a break from laughing to answer his question. I exhaled a few breaths and spoke. "I'm sorry, it's just that you two are so similar...like a couple of brothers!" I started laughing again, this time even harder to the point where it left me in tears. Finally I stopped and spoke again. "You two may not know this, or agree with this, but you guys are very similar."

"How are we like brothers?" Axel asked me.

"I can't believe I have to explain it to you again." I sighed. "You both want nothing more than to protect me and see me happy. You both have had that goal from the very beginning, even though you were on separate sides." I ran to Axel's side and grabbed his arm. "Riku, while I was in the Organization, Axel kept me safe the whole time. He made sure none of the other members would hurt me in any way."

Riku looked up at Axel curiously, watching him nod his head and smile. "It was thanks to me that Misuki was able to escape the prison she was in and get to you." Axel explained. "So, you're welcome."

"Uhh…thanks, I guess." Riku wasn't sure how to react to this situation. "I guess this means I owe you one."

"No you don't. Just be sure to take good care of her. Got it memorized?"

Riku let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, I got it."

"Axel, what's going to happen now?" I asked him, gripping his arm tighter. "Do you…have to leave?"

He turned towards me and lifted my chin. His touch was warm and comforting. It almost melted my skin off my body. "As long as you keep me in your heart, I'll always be with you." He leaned in closer and touched his lips to mine; like two magnets that attracted each other. I felt the ground beneath me disappear and found myself floating. Memories of the first time Axel and I shared a kiss in Twilight Town. Like that moment, I wanted this one to last forever.

I finally pulled away and felt tears fall from my eyes. "Riku, never leave her. Not even for a moment."

"You got it." Riku didn't mind me kissing Axel.

Axel then vanished away, leaving Riku and I alone. "Good-bye, Axel." Riku stood behind me and held me in his arms. He didn't say a word, but his body language told me everything was going to be okay.

"Come on, let's get going." He led me to the portal when it suddenly closed up. We jumped back, wondering what was going on.

"Riku it's gone!" I exclaimed, almost to the point of extreme panic. The platform began to rumble and shake until it finally collapsed underneath us. I stretched my hand out to try and grab Riku's hand, but he was too far. We were falling the depths of the Darkness.

When everything cleared, Riku and I found ourselves once again standing in front of Xemnas. This time, he had on a white coat similar to his original black one, but with black patterns all around it. We both summoned our keyblades and gripped them tight.

"Heroes from the Realm of Light; I will not allow it to end like this…not yet." Riku took one step in front of me and continued glaring at Xemnas and watched his every move. My breath was slow and steady. I was ready for anything he would throw at us. "If Light and Darkness are eternal, then surely we nothings must be the same; eternal!"

"You're right…Light and Darkness are eternal." Riku said. "Nothing probably goes on forever too. But guess what Xemnas…that doesn't mean you're eternal!"

Xemnas chuckled, causing me to shiver a bit, while keeping a firm grasp on my keyblade. "No more eternal than that radiance of yours…" In the blink of an eye, Xemnas summoned black webs of Darkness that tangled around us and tried to trap us. I leapt into the air while Riku ran the opposite direction of Xemnas.

"Misuki!" I heard Riku shout my name.

"I'm fine, focus on the fight!" I shouted back. "We can't let Xemnas win!" I got back in the game and attacked Xemnas alone. I hit him about seven times and had him on the run. I struck him again before he turned black webs that swarmed and trapped me. I tried to struggle free when I noticed Xemnas coming at me from behind. He struck me with his light swords, causing me to fall the second the webs released me. It was hard to get up, but seeing him try to come at me again, I commanded my keyblade to attack Xemnas again. It only got two blows on him before he blocked the next attack and threw my keyblade right back next to me. I took it in my hand and finally got back on my feet. The moment I did, Xemnas rushed me until Riku jumped in front of him and struck him, causing him to fall back a few feet away from us.

"Will you be okay?" he asked me.

I ran next to him, ready to fight again. "I told you not to worry about me." I repeated. "The number one priority is to stop Xemnas at any cost. That's…the only way the hearts can rest in peace." In a blur, I took off and went back to attacking Xemnas with everything I had. "You're through, Xemnas!" He dodged my attacks while I dodged his. It soon became a never-ending cycle of attacking and defending. It wasn't long before Riku stepped in to help me. The moment he did, Xemnas got distracted for second, allowing me to finally land a blow on him. Riku hit him too, but once he did, Xemnas vanished and reappeared from above and attacked Riku countlessly, not giving him a moment to escape.

"I will end this quickly." Xemnas' laser swords began glowing even brighter than before and let immense power flow from them, and surround Riku. Once he was trapped, they attacked simultaneously, causing Riku to fall to the ground and pass out.

"Riku, no!" I ran straight to Riku and stood over him. "Riku wake up! Please wake up!" I shook his body with some force, begging him to open his eyes. I never got a response from him; not even a small twitch. The wave of his heart passed through me like a gust of wind, making the tears stop from falling down my face. His energy was almost down to nothing. "I'll finish this, Riku." I whispered. "Then we'll go home together."

"What will you do now?" I heard Xemnas ask me. "You're all alone. Do you think you have what it takes to defeat me, all by yourself?"

"You're wrong, Xemnas." I said, slowly standing up. "I'm not alone. All of my friends are always close to me, wherever I am. As long as I keep them in my heart…I can do anything!" My body filled with power, glowing a brilliant purple. This sudden burst of power made Xemnas hesitate for a second. While he was shielding himself from my power, I felt my feet leave the ground. With my new power I came at Xemnas with even more speed than before. Just like Xemnas did to Riku, I mercilessly attacked him repeatedly. After the millionth blow, he fell to the ground, still wondering how I was able to acquire such intense power.

"This energy…what's happening?"

"You say you understand the powers of the heart, Xemnas. But you don't. This is what the heart is capable of when you fight for someone you care about. That's why…you will never have what it takes to wield this kind of power!" The energy I felt came from Riku, the King, Chip, Dale, Ansem the Wise and all of my other friends I hold close to me. The last source of energy I felt came from Axel. His was so strong that his presence roamed around me like protective armor.

"No, it will…be mine!" Xemnas struggled to get up. "I must…have it!" Xemnas finally got back on his feet and came at me with ultimate fury and desire to claim my power. The second he was within two inches of me, I released my keyblade and delivered the final blow. The power of Light completely destroyed Xemnas' body. It was really over.

The energy I had disappeared, along with the light that surrounded my body and my keyblade. When my body stopped glowing I ran to Riku, who was finally able to move again. "Riku, are you okay?" I asked, helping him up.

He grabbed onto me and kissed me on the cheek. "I am now." The feel of his breath in my ear made every cell in my body tingle. Then he looked around and let out a big sigh. "So…it's finally over."

"Yeah." I answered. "That means we can go home. Are you ready?"

"Let's go." Riku nodded his head. I held him close to me, letting his weight fall on me as we walked through the space and straight to the island.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Hey there! Sorry for the delay ^^; I've been adjusting to my new classes that I didn't have time to update this chapter hehe. I've also been catching up on my Netflix watching since I got back from my winter break. My dad's place doesn't have internet, so I've been trying to catch up on the shows I've been watching and also start on a new one that has been recommended to me several times.

Anyway, almost done with the updates. It makes me happy that people are still reading this story ^^ I want to thank all of you for your support.

Please R&R and I'll see you soon (^w^)/


	32. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One:**

A few minutes of walking, Riku and I found ourselves on an island under a night sky with the full moon shining brightly over the dark ocean sea. "Hey, you can put me down now." Riku requested. I let go of his hand and allowed him to stand on his own. We looked out to the sea and let our minds wander.

My breathing slowed down for a while as I recapped all the trials I went through to finally be here with Riku. This world set my heart at ease and comforted me. "Maybe…the Darkness has gotten to me too. What do you think Riku?" I turned around to see Riku lying on the ground. I ran to him to make sure he was okay. "Riku!"

He panted for a while before saying, "This world is perfect for me." He sat up and just looked out towards the sea. "Maybe I should fade back into the Darkness."

I sat next to him, and placed my hand over his. "Don't say that, Riku. You're perfect the way you are." I turned his face toward me so I could look into his eyes. I leaned in closer to him and touched my forehead to his and let our spirits connect. "I want to stay by your side forever." I whispered.

He took my hand and lowered it from his face, keeping his forehead in place. Then he pulled away. "Misuki, can you help me? I want to get to the ocean."

"Of course." I stood back up and pulled Riku up, letting him shift his weight to me again. Getting a good hold of him, I led him to the shore of the ocean and set him down in the surf. "You want to know something Riku?"

"What is it?" he asked me.

"The first time I met you, I had a sensation that I already knew you. For the longest time…I could never figure it out. But sitting here, I suddenly remember. It was the first night Ansem the Wise took me in. I had a dream about a boy. He smiled at me and made all my cares and worries disappear. He held his hand out to me and said, 'don't worry…I'll protect you no matter what.'" I stopped and looked up at the sky. "After I met you, I knew I could trust you from the very beginning."

Riku let out a small chuckle. "It's funny…I had the same sensation with you. When the King told me about you, something in me instantly connected with you. Then, when I saw you, it got stronger."

"So…we knew each other even before we came into contact." I let out a small laugh. "I find that really cool. The King, I just remembered I met before I met Ansem. He…had saved me from some Heartless." Why were all of these old memories suddenly coming back to me now? They were always there deep inside, but out of nowhere, they decide to appear to me in clear, vivid flashbacks. "What's with all these memories piling up in my head?"

"That's what happens when you stop and take a breather; you're able to unleash things you stopped thinking about a long time ago." Our fingers twined together, letting our auras flow into one another. The calm wind blew through my hair, letting it float in the soft breeze. The smell of salt water filled the air. "Hey Misuki, take a look at this. It's a letter to you." I opened my eyes to see Riku handing me a letter. I took it and slowly read it:

_No matter where we are,_

_Our hearts will always be connected to one another._

_The first time I saw you, I knew your heart was_

_Filled with purity and great potential. Now the journey is over…_

_Time to come home._

After I finished reading it, I looked out at the ocean to see a door appearing in front of Riku and me. I stood up to get a better look at it. "Is that…"

"It is…"

"The Door to Light." We both said together. I looked down at Riku and watched him stand up on his own. We looked at each other for a while and then ran through the water to get to the door. When we went through it, we found ourselves being caressed by the warm energy that was Light. The soothing comfort made me close my eyes and imagine me and Riku living together on his island; standing hand in hand. I felt myself floating downward, but I let my body relax and just stood completely still. As my mind drifted in the final images of my mind, I found that I stopped falling and was floating in the middle of the ocean. Riku emerged to the surface behind me. We looked straight ahead to see King Mickey, Chip and Dale waving at us. Without hesitation, we swam to shore to greet them. "We missed you guys so much!" I took Chip and Dale in my hands and hugged them against my cheeks.

"We're so glad you're home!" Chip explaimed.

"Promise to never leave us alone again!" Dale said, crying his little eyes out.

I laughed and answered, "Cross my heart."

"Misuki, you did it." I turned around to see the King and Riku standing in the surf. "Thanks to you and Riku, everything is back in balance again."

"I remember now." I said, crouching down to look King Mickey in the eyes. "It was you who saved me from the Heartless in Radiant Garden the second day I was there."

"Yep, that was me."

I picked him up and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for that. And for everything else you've done for me."

I set him back down and smiled at him. "Ahh shucks, it was nothing." He said, blushing.

"Wait, has Radiant Garden returned to the way it was?" I asked. The thought suddenly came to me.

The King nodded his head. "When we stepped through the portal, we landed in the middle of the town. Don't worry. Everything has been returned to normal."

Hearing that made me happy and relieved. "If you landed in Radiant Garden, how did you get here?" I asked.

"I took my Gummy Ship. It was only a short trip from there to here." I smiled, so happy that everything was okay; the people were safe and continuing their normal lives without any Heartless or Nobodies to disrupt their peace.

"Misuki." I heard my name whisper in the wind. I looked back out to the sea and kept walking until the water was at my waist. Little bits of lights sparkled around a figure until it was clear enough to see. I was in shock when I saw it was Ansem the Wise. He was transparent like Axel was; only he was surrounded by light. Riku ran to my side, with the King standing behind him. "You've done very well. You too, Riku."

"Ansem…it's really you." My reaction was the same as when I found him back in Castle Oblivion. Tears fell from my eyes and I was the happiest person in the world.

"You can finally rest now. Your journey is over."

"I wish you were here with us, Ansem." I said over my tears. "I wanted us all to be a big happy family."

"I still am a part of your family, my child." He said. "You can always call on me if you ever need my help." Ansem turned his attention then to Riku. "Riku, I want to thank you for standing by Misuki and being there for her when I couldn't be."

"Don't thank me." Riku took my hand in his and held it tight, not daring to let go. "I would never leave her alone. She's too important to me." I stared at his beautiful smile that made my tears vanish.

"We'll always be together." I said softly, swinging our conjoined hands back and forth. "For all time."

"King Mickey, my friend, forgive me. I was thinking of myself when things began to fall apart. I should've called on you for help when I needed it."

"No need to apologize." The King said. "I understood that your decisions were for good reasons. Still... I was worried about you. But it all turned out alright."

"Indeed it did. Everyone, I must go now." As Ansem began to vanish, he spoke one last time. "We will always be connected with each other. Farewell."

"Farewell…Ansem." His words echoed in my head over and over. I promised myself I would never forget his voice, nor his face. I pictured Ansem the Wise meeting my father and telling him what a gift I am to the world.

"What's this?" I looked down to see the King pick up something from the water. "It's Ansem's scarf."I looked at it closely and saw that he was right…it was the same red scarf Ansem always wore. "Here, Misuki. I think he'd want you to have it." I took the scarf in my hands and stared at it.

"Well, I've gotta get going." The King said. "It's been a while since I've been home, and everyone's probably worried about me."

"Promise to keep in touch with us." Riku said. "If you need anything…"

"…You'll be the first ones I call on." He finished. "Chip, Dale, I'm counting on you two to help protect Misuki."

"We won't let you down, your majesty!" they said simultaneously.

"You take care two, King Mickey." I spoke out after a long silence. "Stay safe out there."

"Same goes for you." He waved as he used his keyblade to transport himself back home.

"So Misuki, what are you going to do with that scarf?" Riku asked me.

"The only thing I can do." I walked over to the part of the island where Riku and I spent most of our time together, sitting on the palm tree. Riku sat back and watched me tie two thick sticks together to form a cross and stabbed it into the ground. Once it was in place, I tied Ansem's scarf around it and then stepped back to get a better look at it. "This is what he'd want me to do with it."

Riku wrapped his arm around me and kissed my cheek. "It looks great. I'll bet he's smiling right now."

"You're right." Riku and I sat down on the palm tree and stared out into the horizon. Chip and Dale were asleep against the cross. "This is absolutely perfect." He said sofly.

"This is a dream come true." After all of the hard battles we fought, and all the enemies we went through, at last we got to just sit back and enjoy life with each other. Riku told me that he used to be unhappy with this world, because it was too small. But his view changed since he got to travel to different places, just to discover that the world we were in was part of something greater. All the hearts I had saved that were sent to Kingdom Hearts I released and let them return home. I was ready to spend the rest of my life on this island with Riku. I knew we were going to be very happy together.

* * *

><p>Me: *sniff sniff* Such a happy ending. *blows nose*<p>

Axel: I should've appeared again with Ansem. Then you and I could have shared another kiss.

Riku: *pulls me away from Axel* Back off, dude! She's mine!

Axel: You wanna go again, tough guy!?

Me: *sighs* Saix, please take care of this.

Saix: *growls and roars* BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!

*Axel and Riku quiet down and sit in a corner, holding each other and crying*

Saix: How do you put up with those two acting like this?

Me: It's a matter of patience. You and Xemnas have to deal with Axel more than me honestly.

Saix: *scoffs* He barely listens to us.

Me: *chuckles* We're getting off topic. Please R&R! Thanks for reading ^_^


	33. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

In the beginning, I had lost my family. I found myself in a world where I thought I would never know love and warmth again. Then, a man came and saved me from the doubt that had formed in my mind. He was kind, understanding and didn't think twice about taking me in. Through him, I met others who I came to love and form a never ending bond with.

I had to fight my way through trials and obstacles to reunite myself with the friends I had gained with time. As I fought, they were always on my mind. They came before anything else. I would risk everything to see my friends and family again.

In the end, I had lost another father. But this time, I wasn't left alone. The smiles of close new friends surrounded me and became my new family. Now, I had no reason to shed another tear in my life. And I have kept this promise thus far. With my family by my side and guiding me through a long and happy life, I will never have to face anything on my own. I will always have people right behind me, ready to defend me to the very end.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Well that's the end ^^ I hope you enjoyed this story. If you liked it, know that I finally thought of a sequel after a year or two lol. It won't be up for a while, because I'm writing out in a notebook before typing it out. I will try to have it uploaded sometime after summer vacation starts. In the meantime, check out my other stories and I'll see you soon!


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